


Why Can't You Be More Like Ladybug?

by Wildberry (cHATnOIRE)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Alya is friendship goals, Angst, Can You Feel The Love Tonight, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, Multi, Poor Adrien, Poor Marinette, Reveals, Stupid Adrien, adreinette - Freeform, cause adrien can't, slight adrien
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-09-15 06:03:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 25,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9222209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cHATnOIRE/pseuds/Wildberry
Summary: Marinette has always come in second to Ladybug. She had excepted that, she had moved on.But when Chloe starts to tease her for her inadequacy, it hurts. Especially when her partner Chat basically confirms what Chloe is saying. She knows she shouldn't let it affect her, and yet you can't control you're feelings. Her heart had always been the thing that guided her, so how was she supposed to follow the thing she trusted most, when her mind was telling her it was obviously wrong?





	1. Chapter One; Silence

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction, I hope you enjoy. Your feedback is welcome. Please don't be rude or nasty. If you don't like, don't read.

**_Marinette POV_ **

I slide into my seat next to Alya just as the bell rings and the teacher, Ms. Bustier, walks into class. As punctual as ever with her teal eyes scanning the classroom to see if everyone is in their seats.

"It is good to see you all sitting down and ready for the day." she said brightly and with a smile. Ms. Bustier was my favorite teacher, she was always smiling and had a real enthusiasm towards her teaching, not only that but she was also kind and thoughtful, always ready to give a helping hand and didn't put up with any of Chloe's bullying.

She then proceeded to call the roll, which after listening to my name being called, I zoned out of and listened to Alya on her rant about the latest akuma attack and how awesome it was. I was only half listening however, as I was paying far more attention to the head of blond hair sitting directly in front of me, wondering what was going on inside of that beautiful head.

It came as no surprise to me when Alya whacked me on the arm and reminded me that the lesson had actually started and that I would need to pay attention and take down notes. I absorbed myself in the lesson ignoring the sparkling green eyes that turned towards me along with the rest of the class when I answered the teacher's question.

The bell rang again and the rest of the class filed out to lunch I however waited behind with Alya who was being lectured by the teacher for being on her phone during class. After the teacher finished the lecture we went out and sat in our usual spot underneath a tree. I unpacked my lunch and offered half of my croissant to Alya. It was our tradition to share our lunches, so in turn she offered me a little bag full of grapes, which I grinned at and took a few, popping them into my mouth and marveling and the taste. The mood of serenity was spoiled however when a few moments later Alya's phone vibrated. Showing a live news stream of an akuma in action a few blocks away. Alya hurriedly excused herself with a few muttered apologies and an excited expression on her face.

"Sorry Marinette, but this one looks just to good to miss. They call them self, 'the silencer', how cool does that sound?" I shook my head at her enthusiasm with a wiry grin. Sometimes, she was just to excited about these attacks.

I quickly found my self a place to transform, calling Tiki out of my purse.

"This akuma already sounds like an interesting one, calls themself 'the silencer!' Tiki didn't even question where I got my information from. Sometimes it was really great having a superhero obsessed best friend. It also made getting away to transform much easier, as nine out of ten times, she was headed off to find the akuma long before me.

"I'm ready to go Marinette, just say the word." Tiki said in her adorable high pitched voice. I smiled at her.

"Tiki, Spots On!"

My transformation rapped around me encasing me with solid magic. I unstrung my yo-yo from my hip and launched off into the city.

**/o/0\o\**

**_Adriens POV_ **

I had already had arrived at the scene long before my lady. I didn't really have a plan at the moment other than not being hti and keeping the akuma away from civilians.

The akuma called herself the Silencer. She was abnormally tall and skinny with black and dark grey armor like stuff encasing her, making the only skin visible her pale face and neck. She had pale light brown hair, with blood red marks on her face in what looked like tear tracks. All she had to do was aim her hand and a bolt of bright green energy shot from her hand towards her victim and made them unable to speak, as their lips were sewn shut. Her aim was to 'silence' everyone who wouldn't 'be quiet' when 'she was trying to speak' and had were apparently being 'unnecessarily cruel'.

It was obvious she had been bullied. Sometimes bullies just really annoyed me. How much was it to ask to not be mean to everyone? Honestly, one day he was going to have to go and show those bullies exactly what they were doing. It wasn't like they were the ones having to fight the akumas everyday, or live with the knowledge that you had been turned into a monster. 

I didn't think of akumas like monsters, I thought of them as victims, but after talking to Nino...

(Some people were just to mean for their own good. It wasn't even his fault!)

I had also figured out what the akumatized object was, so when ladybug caught the akuma unawares from behind, I launched my self at him, yelling towards her;

"It's in the necklace, Bugaboo!"I said adding Bugaboo in the singsong voice I knew grated on her nerves, smiling to myself as she couldn't exactly reprimand me for the pet name when she was in the middle of dodging the fast attacks that the akuma was aiming towards her.

I ran towards the silencer, carefully dodging her attacks and distracting her with annoying quips and jokes. Ladybug, given slight respite, cautiously moved towards the akuma, but as soon as she got close, the akuma turned and hit her with a blast of green lightning, sending her flying back towards me, hitting us both into a wall.

"YOU WILL LEARN TO BE QUIET!" she screamed. Huh, for one who loved silence, she sure wasn't too keen on it herself. The akuma roared lunging towards us. I quickly grabbed Ladybug's hand, dragging her away from the akuma. I didn't know what happened when you got hit more than once, and I was pretty sure I didn't want to know.

I extended my baton and we headed away from the akuma finding a safe spot on a near by building. Ladybug was motioning towards me with her hands making noises and obviously trying to explain something.

"What's the matter Ladybug? Cat got your tongue?" I asked smiling at her as she made an annoyed noise and whacked me on the arm.

She continued trying to explain for a few seconds before giving up and calling for her lucky charm, which was funny as she couldn't say anything and had to mumble really loudly. She looked at the object for a few seconds before a light-bulb seemingly went off in her head and she headed back off towards the akuma.

We defeated it pretty quickly and with her healing power fixing everything, her mouth was un-sewed. Soon after her ear rings beeped, allowing us to only do a quick fist bump before she ran off into to Paris, visible for a short moments before disappearing below the skyline out of sight. I sighed and followed her example, heading away from the news reporters gathered. So quickly I didn't even notice that Alya was wasn't even there.

**/o/0\o\**

**_Marinettes POV_ **

 

I had only just detransformed when my phone beeped and I checked it. It was a message from Nino.

_Nino: where r u Nette, Alya said that u r not answering ur phone, but Alya needs you right now Nette._

Confused I scrolled upwards to see eleven missed messages from Alya, one from Maman and one from Alya's mother. I scrolled to the top and read them downwards form there.

_Alya: marinette, can you please come to my house._

_Alya: my mum says she can drop you home afterwards_

_Alya: oh wait right you don't know why i want you to come to my house._

_Alya: i'll ring you i don't want to tell you over text_

_Alya: you didn't answer so i am going to tell you over text_

_Alya: my sister was run over by a car that was swerving to avoid hitting another little girl_

_Alya: please come as soon as you can_

_Alya; i can text your mum the address as we are leaving now_

_Alya: please come i need you_

_Alya: fine ignore me, don't bother coming then._

 

_Mrs Cesaire: Marinette the family would really appreciate it if you could come and be with alya to help her with the little ones, it would be greatly appreciated._

_Maman: Marinette where are you and why are you not answering your phone? Alya needs you . I hope you  are on you way to the hospital._

 

Alya: hey just turned my sister off life support. don't bother coming. we are all heading home anyway.

What had I done?


	2. Taunts and Teases

_**Marinette POV** _

The day after Alya's little sister died, I woke up early. Tiki didn't have to fly around my face motivating me to get up. I even got up before my alarm, which  don't remember happening before.

Getting up early _usualIly_ implies that one is well rested. However I barely slept a wink. Alya's little sister had died, and I hadn't done a thing about it. Tiki was constantly trying to reassure me that it wasn't my fault. Sometimes being a hero meant making sacrifices as a civilian, but so far being ladybug hadn't hurt anyone but me. I didn't like Alya being hurt because hurt I was ladybug,  it wasn't her fault I was a hero after all. 

Not only that but I was grounded, which means I couldn't go and offer Alya support at home, I was only allowed to see her at school. My parents never got angry, they only ever got disappointed with me, which was some how worse.

"Marinette, you were irresponsible, you didn't come straight home after school and you didn't answer you phone. You made us worry and also made Alya worry, who did not need extra worry, at that point in time especially. I am really disappointed in you. Until we feel we can trust you again, you are grounded."

At that point I didn't even try to give excuses. I just excepted it mumble with a lowered head. Tiki's efforts to make me feel better did nothing, and my sleep didn't come. Leaving me staring mindlessly at the ceiling, wishing for once that I didn't always have to be selfless, and that I could just give up being Ladybug.

I arrived at school way earlier that I usually did. Not even noticing the students who tried to greet me, rushing straight past them all until I got to the classroom, where I could just see Alya sitting in Nino's seat with her head on the desk balling with Nino doing his best to comfort her.

I was about to open the door when Chloe stepped in my way.

"I don't think she wants to see you right now." she said snottily tossing her blond hair over her shoulders and lacing the word 'you' with hard hitting venom.

I flinched, avoiding Chloe's gaze and looking at the ground. I didn't even know how Chloe knew, but I could tell she did. She knew, and was here, rubbing it into my face. I didn't even have the strength the stand up to her, after all, it was justified.

"Everyone thinks you're a such a hero Marinette, a little angel. Not so much of a hero now. Besides Paris already has two heroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, and they do their job much better than you do. You weren't even there to help you best friend. Why can't you be more like ladybug? It do us all a favor if you were." She turned and cackled before walking off with Sabrina at her heels, who shot me a pitying glance.

Chloe was right. Why couldn't I be more like ladybug? Tiki always says that ladybug is me. I could be brave, and witty, and confident. But I was just Marinette. I wasn't brave, or witty and I didn't even have it in me to tell Adrien I loved him. I wasn't even confident or brave enough to reveal my true identity to Chat. I was not ladybug.

Just then Tiki came out from my purse, flying around my face.

"Don't listen to Chloe, she doesn't know what she's talking about, as usual. You are everything ladybug is, you ARE ladybug."

But Tiki could do nothing to console me. For all her faults, this time, Chloe was right.

I numbly turned away holding my hand out for Tiki and putting her back in the purse, before walking quietly out of the school and sitting on the steps waiting for classes to start.

 

**o/0\o**

**Adrien's POV**

I hopped out of my car, walking up the steps to where I usually greeted Nino. But Nino wasn't there. Marinette was, sitting with her head in her hands and looking very lonely and very lost.

I went up and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hi Marinette."

She didn't even look up to greet me, barely acknowledging my presence with a mumbled hello. I may not be all that good at reading social cues, but even I could tell that something was wrong with Marinette. I sat down next to her, swinging my bag down beside me.

"Marinette, what's wrong?"she didn't seem to here me so I put a hand on my shoulder. Suddenly she looked up at me, and not even seeming to register who I was spoke.

"Don't tell me you don't know." she didn't stutter, didn't even appear to even realise who she was speaking to. Her eyes were glazed over. Mystified I asked;

"Know what?"

"Know that I completely failed my best friend, even Chloe seems to know." I frowned slightly. What could Marinette of all people do to fail someone. Marinette was so inherently dis-positioned towards being cheerful that I was surprised to hear her speaking like this at all. I remained silent, not knowing what to say.

She looked away briefly before returning her gaze towards me, this time stronger and saying;

"What do you do when you completely screw everything up?" she asked, desperation clinging to her words.

I was getting worried. Marinette seemed completely distraught. She was a prime akuma target.

"Calm down Mari, I am sure there is a way to fix this." I nearly chocked on the end of my sentence, not realising that I had called her by the nickname I had heard Alya and occasionally Nino calling her. She didn't seem to mind though, didn't seem to even realise.

"I can't get akumatized though, akuma's have to want justification and they have to be angry at someone else, the only person I am angry at is myself."

I was surprised. Marinette didn't strike me as someone who knew a lot about akumas.

"How do you know so much about akumas?"

That seemed to snap Marinette out of whatever revere she was in. She looked at me and seemed to struggle to find words.

"Oh, ummm, A-Alya. Yeah, Alya told me." the stutter was back, I noticed. Though the answer she gave made sense, of course Alya would know.

Just then the bell rang and I offered my hand to help her up which she blushed slightly before taking. We made our way into class to together. When we walked in however I noticed Nino was in my usual seat, with Alya in his. I raised an eyebrow at him and Nino just shrugged like, 'what can I do about it?'

I turned to Marinette.  

"Is it okay if I sit with you for the day, it seems as though Alya has kicked me out of my seat.

Marinette just nodded her head absentmindedly, her gaze fixed with a conflicted expression on where Alya's head of curls were visible from where her head was resting on the desk.

I made my way up to Alya's usual seat and Marinette came and sat next to me, her gaze still fixed on where Alya was. Marinette didn't even seem to realise that I was next to her until I answered my name for roll call. She then jumped in her seat and stared at me in shock. I scratched the back of my head embarrassed, why was she looking at me like that?

Chloe then walked in and I suppressed a groan. She rambled off some excuse to the teacher, something about being caught in traffic, and resumed walking towards her seat, flipping her hair flamboyantly over her shoulder. Then her gaze caught on Marinette and I and a snarl seemed to latch itself onto her face.

"What are you doing sitting next to my Adrikins. What, did you throw yourself on his mercy? Did nobody want to be your friend after what happend with Alya? Adrien is to good to be your friend, so you shouldn't go throwing yourself on his conscious, it's not his fault he's to nice for his own good. There's a spare seat up the back in the corner, just where you belong Marinette, out of sight, out of mind."

I was shocked,m, Marinette didn't even put up a fight like she normally did, just looked at the desk. Not even Alya seemed inclined to stand up for Marinette, and the teacher had only just realised there was a commotion, turning around to to talk to the class. Chloe wasn't going to get away with it however. Not with Marinette already feeling bad about herself.

"Leave her alone Chloe, I chose to sit here, not Marinette, it's not her fault."

Chloe turned her gaze from Marinette to me, it was full of contempt.

"Adrien I thought you were to smart to fall for the good girl act. sShe's not a good person, the only good person around here is Ladybug and Marinette is nothing like Ladybug." 

Marinette looked close to tears and finally Ms. Bustier stepped in. 

"That is enough Chloe. Go to your seat. You can spend your lunch time with me. No one is like ladybug, and it is unfair to accuse anyone of not being like the super heroine, Ladybug is a superhero after all." out of the corner of my eye I saw Marinette wince, almost imperceptibly. It seemed as though Ms. Bustier had not actually helped, only make Marinette feel worse about herself. 

Just then Marinette got up and ran out of the class. Despite the teacher calling after her. I got up to go after her but was held back by the teacher.

"No Adrien, give her some alone time."

I went back to my seat and stared at the door, waiting for Marinette to appear, and growing more worried by the second when she didn't.

Then the screaming started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, normally I won't be posting the chapters this close to each other but when the creative juices are flowing, well, you just go with it!
> 
> Thank you for all the support on the first chapter, I really appreciate it!


	3. Ashes Drifting in the Wind

_**Marinette POV** _  


The thing about not being in class when an Akuma starts attacking is that it is much easier to find a place to hide and transform. I didn't even leave time for Tikki to talk to me as I called on my transformation.

"Tikki, Spots on!"

The little red god was sucked into my ear rings and with my powers activated I flew off to find the akuma.

It was an easy find, what with all the screaming, and the akuma didn't appear to be targeting the people around it, heading instead, straight for the school. My suspicions were confirmed when the akuma let out a guttural yell of;

"Chloe!"

What had she done to make akumatize someone this time?  


I headed for the akuma swinging over it's head and landing right in front of it. 

"Hey, it's okay, you don't need to harm anybody. I'm sure we can work this out."

The akuma just looked at me with pure contempt. 

"I have TRIED working things out! That spoiled brat just doesn't get it!"

As much as I wanted to agree with the akuma on that subject I knew that I needed to purify the akuma before it could do any harm to anyone and, as much as it annoyed me, that meant Chloe as well.

Just then Chat landed with a heavy thud beside me. He gave me a quick side glance and acknowledged me, "Hey bug", before going into an all out charge towards the akuma.    


The fight ended quickly despite the fact that Chloe thought it would be a good idea to come and try to confront the akuma while Chat and I were trying to fight it. If not for Chats quick warning, I wouldn't have been able to swoop in and save her on time.

After the battle despite the fact I just wanted to sit back and relax, I knew that I would have to show my face so that my parents and the teachers wouldn't be worried.

So after transforming I made my way back towards school.

  


**/o/0\o\**  


**_Adrien's POV_ **

It was quite a relief to find out that Marinette hadn't been akumatized. Out of our class, she and I were the only ones that hadn't been akumatized. That meant if she got akumatized it would be like pointing a giant finger at me and screaming out, "HE'S CHAT NOIR!", which meant I had to help her stay positive.

Normally, that didn't prove too hard. Marinette was just a naturally positive person and despite the fact that I had to help her stay positive to keep my identity a secret, I knew that I would want to help her anyway. It was depressing to see the kindest and happiest person in the class look so sad.

The first thing I did upon reentering the school was therefore to look for Marinette. After wondering the halls for a few minutes at a complete loss of where to look, I heard Chloe yelling.

Following a hunch I went towards the noise.

**/o/0\o\**  


_**Marinette's POV  
** _

__The moment Chloe saw me she started yelling. I know I should stay positive, I really do. In my position I couldn't afford getting akumatized but...

You try staying positive when Chloe is yelling at you.  
  


"Where were you Marinette? The akuma came and you were nowhere to be found. Let me guess, the little goody two shoes was hiding under a table somewhere with her hands over her head shaking with fear."

I gritted my teeth and looked up at Chloe clenching my fists.

"Yeah, well at least I had the common sense not to interfere with Chat Noir and Ladybug."

She rolled her pale blue eyes and scoffed. Sabrina standing behind Chloe looked at me pityingly. 

"I wasn't interfering. Ladybug saved me. What I wouldn't give for you to be more like ladybug."

It was true. Ladybug was the better side of me. Everyone seemed to love ladybug, yet nobody even shot me a second glance when I walked down the hall. In comparison to Ladybug, Marinette was invisible.

You couldn't blame me then, as I wasn't transformed, when I completely lost my cool. I had dealt with Chloe enough to day, and still had the peace of mind to save her.

"If Ladybug is who you really want then, then Marinette will just disappear."

A small crowd had gathered around to witness the fight, their faces jeering and sneers prominent on their faces. I looked around at them one last time before pushing past them all, and running away, tears streaking down my face.

Despite the fact that I had stood up for nearly everyone in the school against Chloe, no one thought of returning the favor, and that hurt more than any of the words Chloe could ever yell at me.

**/o/0\o\**  


_**Adrien's POV** _  


__despite running the remainder of the way there, I only got there in time to see Marinette yell something at Chloe and then disappear through the crowd. Chloe stood in the middle of the circle, holding their attention like a self righteous Queen, looking at her nails and appearing to have a self satisfied look on her smug face.

It was enough to make my blood boil.

I started angrily pushing through the cloud, about to confront Chloe, but someone had beat me to it.

Alya stood there, her wavy hair flying behind her back. She seemed to blaze up with anger as she slapped Chloe across the face, everyone falling silent at the resounding thwack.

I smiled to myself. Despite the fact that I knew that Alya and Marinette were on rocky ground right now, it was good to see that Alya was standing up for Marinette even though Marinette wasn't there to see it.

Chloe looked at Alya in shock, rage twisting up her face. The slap seemed to have done a good job in wiping that smug look off her face however.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Chloe screeched at Alya, Sabrina was quietly beside her, trying to calm Chloe down, but Chloe just shoved Sabrina harshly off her. Not even noticing when the red head roughly hit the ground. 

Not noticing, and probably not caring as well.  
  


Alya didn't seemed fazed by this show of wrath. seemingly calm as Chloe fumed.

"Let me guess, your father is going to hear about this?" Alya looked down her nose at Chloe, "Sure go ahead and tell your father. I don't care. What I care about is the fact that you've been making Mari's life hell for the past few days."

Chloe strode forward, menacingly stopping when she was just inches from Alya's face.

"As if you care," she spat glancing around her, "Marinette certainly didn't care when you sister was on life support."

Despite the fact that the insult didn't seem to faze her, I could tell that she was trying to stay calm, a muscle was feathering in her jaw.

"Yeah, we all make mistakes, but Marinette is as much my family as my little sister was. So don't stand there acting self righteous when you're the one who causes the most akumas and works Ladybug and Chat Noir's asses off."

There was muttered agreements in the crowd and Alya turned on them

"Don't you agree with me." she said her hair flying around her face, "None of you did anything to help Marinette when Chloe started yelling and none of you tried to stop her running off, even though everyday Marinette stand up for all of you, you were too selfish to think of repaying the favor. You are not innocent bystanders, you are just as guilty as she is." Alya finished her rant pointing at Chloe.

I smiled at Alya and when it was clear that she had one, Chloe stormed off, and after she left the crowd seemed to dissipate, leaving a triumphant Alya and a grinning Nino standing by her side.

I approached them, and when she saw me she sighed.

"Let's go find Marinette."

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you guys think of the fight scene!
> 
> Thank you all for your support, it encourages me to improve my writing and put 100% into it all.  
> Continue commenting please!


	4. When Your Heart Beckons

_**Marinette's POV** _

The first thing I did upon storming out- no running, it certainly wasn't that dignified- was to find an empty alleyway and transform. Despite Tikki trying to help, I ignored her. I needed time alone right now. I flew to the top of the Eiffel Tower, staring down at the city far below. Little people going about their day, unaware of my troubles, and it put me at ease.

Knowing I couldn't stay here for ever, ( I was already getting some strange looks from bystanders), I tossed my yo-yo in a random direction and landing on one of Paris' random streets I prepared to throw my yo-yo when a young police officer approached me.

"Ladybug," he smiled, though the smile seemed rather forced, "what an opportune visit. A young girl has gone missing, she is about your height with dark black hair and blue eyes. Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Do you happen to have any idea to her where-abouts?" I cringed inwardly, I didn't expect the police to be notified so quickly. The officer however was still looking at me, his eyebrows raised in a hopeful expression. It was amazing how ladybug could represent hope to so many people.

"No," I answered slowly to the waiting police officer, "She appears to have disappeared." With that I threw my yo-yo off into the city and the Officer returned to his colleagues.

I swung off towards my house, landing softly on my balcony and softly calling for my de-transformation.

No sooner had I detransformed than I felt Tikki fly up and snuggle into my face. I pulled a cookie from my purse and offered it to the little god who took it and munched on it.

Tikki didn't say anything just sat in the crook of my neck looking out at the city which was illuminated by the the burnt orange glow of the sun setting below the horizon.

_**Adrien's POV** _

After looking for Marinette for a while with Nino and Alya, I quickly realised it was pointless and came up with an excuse to go and transform. I hurtled across the Paris sky line keeping a close look out for a girl in two pig tails. I flew past the school when I spotted Marinette leaning against the railing on her balcony and staring out at Paris, a lost wistful expression on her face.

I landed softly behind her, and she didn't seem to notice me at first but murmured something and then looking confused as she turned around. When she spotted me, her eyebrows drew together. Her lost expression quickly replaced by defensive one.

"What, why are you looking at me like that?" her stance seemed unsure, as I made my way towards her.

"Lot's of people have been looking for you," she seemed to flinch at that, and I immediately regretted my words. However when she stayed silent I took it as a sign to continue.

"How did you get up here without your parent's noticing you, i'm sure they've been worried sick." 

Guilt quickly flashed across her features, before being replaced with sadness.

"I climbed." she said. I felt my eyebrows rise beneath the mask in surprise, she  _climbed_? Sure, I wasn't that close to Marinette but I didn't peg her as the type to be like spider man.

"Climbed." I repeated skeptically.

"climbed." she repeated again, sounding unsure of herself, which made me wish to face palm myself. She seemed in an emotionally unstable state, and not believing her could make her doubt in herself even more.

I hesitantly drew closer to her, and when she didn't move away I slowly put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Whatever is going on you can talk to me."

She then seemed to fold in on herself, shaking with suppressed sobs, and tears falling silently down her face I took one look at her and pulled her into a hug. She sobbed into my chest and I patted her back. When finally the tears stopped, I pulled back and looked at her in the face, though she was studiously avoiding eye contact.

"What's wrong princess?" my nickname seemed to set her at ease.

"I don't want to bother you with it, you probably have better things to-"

I cut her off with a finger on her lips.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to, and I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know. So spill." I removed my finger from her lips and sat her down next to me on her lawn chair.

She took a deep breath and then let it all out in a torrent of cascading words, really fast, with me trying to stay afloat and keep up.

"Chloe, I'm sure you've met her, has always said nasty things to me, and they never really bothered me until now, I knew they weren't true, but now listening to her tell me that I'm not good enough and then I realised that i'm actually not good enough and then I ran away not even bothering to try and stand up to her which just proves, I'm not good enough. I mean, I was voted in as class president, but I really do nothing, I mean I try of course and I thought I had made a difference, but really it's obvious I'm not doing enough. I mean there were heaps of people around when the fight happend and not one of them said a thing and I think most of them agreed with Chloe. I know I shouldn't let it get to me, that just proves Chloe right, but what am I supposed to do, how can I face anyone tomorrow after running out like that. Chloe's right, if I were even the least like ladybug I would've had the courage to stay." After that she hicupped a sob and a few tears escaped her eyes.

I wiped the tears away with my thumb, and offered her a small smile, careful to be gentle while on the inside I was raging. Chloe needed to be taught a lesson. To make one of the bravest most selfless people I know feel like they weren't good enough was enough to make me mad. but with those people, just standing there saying nothing...

I was dimly aware of my arms wrapping around Marinette and holding her close, but my thoughts were on just how much I wanted to take those guys and make them feel exactly what Marinette felt.

Maybe a black cat would be paying a visit to school tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for the relativity short chapter. Let me know what you think, and thank you all for your comments.


	5. Guilty of Ultracrepidarianism

_**Marinette POV** _

Though I never thought I would be able to face the class again after yesterday, with one of Tikki's pep talks, I dragged myself out of bed. I made my way to school with my head down. Ignoring the whispers, I made my way to the classroom. Sitting in my seat, as far away from where Alya normally sat as possible. I grabbed my sketch book and as the class began to fill up, I pretended not to notice them staring and whispering, I pretended I was to caught up in my work to notice when Alya sat down beside me.

I only looked up when the class began, and taking out my book, absorbed my self in the class, writing the most extensive notes I had ever written, but no really understanding them, not really learning, as most of my attention was focused on ignoring the pointed stares and glances cast my way 

The day was, to sum up, so far going a lot better than I thought it would.

Then Adrien arrived. I didn't even notice he was missing, which just proves how hard I was trying to ignore everyone around me. He entered through the door, and immediately zeroes in on me, his eyebrows drawn together in worry, and green eyes sparkling.

I just look away. I didn't need to embarrass myself further by staring at him. Though a blush did warm my cheeks. Of course Adrien would care, it was just in his nature.

At lunch I was the first out the door, ignoring the whispers that seemed to follow me everywhere, I went and sat down on my own under neath a tree. The branches fanning our above me hiding the bright blue sky and protecting me from the harsh glares of the sun. I wasn't with Alya, I doubt she wanted to be any where near me after what I had done. I sat with my eyes downcast eating my lunch slowly.

I opened my purse to see Tikki already staring up at me with her big violet eyes mournful. 

"I'm such a horrible person Tikki." I whispered, the tears brimming my eyes and threatening to tip over. Tikki flew up into my face.

"No you're not, those people don't know what their talking about, you wouldn't have been chosen as Ladybug if it weren't for the fact that are a great person. None of those other people even got so much as a consideration. You were meant to have ladybug ear rings, you were meant to be ladybug. Without you, half of those people would still be under the influence of Hawk Moth, and whether they know it or not, you were the person that saved them. I am sorry about Alya though, I understand why you feel so bad. Maybe you just need to apologize, i'm sure Alya will understand, Alya's a very understanding person." I smiled at Tikki and cupped her to my face.

"You're always full of good ideas Tikki, I don't know what i'd do with out you." 

Tikki just giggled in response. Then the bell rang, and Tikki flew far enough away from me to look into my eyes.

"Now quickly finish your lunch and march back inside with you head held high, show them that their comments don't get to you!" I smiled at Tikki and ushered you back into the purse with her cookies.

I packed up my lunch and did what Tikki said, walking back inside with my head held high, ignoring the whispers that tried to penetrate my calm.

"Look at her, walking in here like she owns the place."

"Did you see her run out crying yesterday?"

"I've never seen her look so sad!"

"I wonder what Chloe said to get her like that?"

"I heard that she slapped Chloe across the face!"

"Marinette slapping Chloe? She would never do that, she's to meek for that."

However the longer I pretended that their comments didn't bother me the easier it became. Soon, it felt natural to walk with my head held high, and I understood that no matter how bad the rumors where, that was all they were, rumors. Soon the news would be old, and everyone would forget it. The calmer I reacted, the less news they had to feed off and the sooner they would go away.

_**Adrien's POV** _

My hands were clenched into fists at my side as I walked in to the class room after lunch with Nino and Alya beside me. Alya had been spending the lunches with us since her and Marinette had their fall out. Though I knew she didn't blame Marinette, she didn't know how to apologize for it. I knew however with her sisters funeral approaching though, she and Marinette would make it up to each other. Though she wouldn't admit it, I knew she wanted Marinette by her side at the funeral.

The shade hid the faces of the nameless people who were still whispering about the fight yesterday. Alya didn't even seem to notice, ignoring the whispers that followed her, though I did notice that she held Nino's hand really tightly. I smiled slightly, I wonder how Nino was going to explain that.

However though the occasional whisper was about Alya and Chloe, it seemed that the most of them were about Marinette and I felt angry on her behalf. How dare they.

As we approached the classroom I pretended to check my phone.

"I'm sorry guys, my father just scheduled a last minuet photo shoot. I'll be back as soon as I can. They said their muted good byes and I snuck off to find a place to transform.

I pulled Plagg out of my shirt pocket. 

"What do you want at this time of day. Don't you have school to be at." he asked grumpily.

"I need to do something for my friend."

"Does this have something to do with that girl Marinette?"

"Yes, what does that have to do with anything Plagg."

"If you want to woo a girl, I would prefer that you did it without involving me."

My eyes widened at Plagg. He just smirked at me. 

"It, it's not like that Plagg." I said, fumbling with my words.

"Sure, so what exactly were you doing last night?"

"Visiting Marinette." I mumbled. Plagg just cackled in response, looking far to self satisfied.

"That doesn't mean anything, I was just helping a friend in need."

"Yeah helping, keep going with that excuse." I shook my head at Plaggs insolence.

"This doesn't have anything to do with it, now come on Plagg, Claws Out!"

He was sucked into my ring, and as the familiar transformation over took me I focused my mind on the task at hand.

I strolled leisurely back into school, winking at the wide eyed groundsmen who blushed erotically. 

I walked up the stairs and knocked on the classroom door. It was opened by Miss Bustier, who looked me up and down. Looking slightly shocked and at a lost for words with her mouth hanging slightly open, so I decided to break the awkward silence.

"Excuse me Miss, is Marinette Dupain-Cheng in this class?" of course she was, i already knew that, however I had to play the part of an innocent kitty for the moment.

She moved aside so I could get through the door and then snapped back into reality.

"Of course Chat Noir, is there anything I can do to help you?"

"If I could speak to the class for a moment would that be alright?"

I silently cursed my self, my formal Adrien was coming out. 

"Of course." She then turned to the class. "Students, Chat Noir is here to speak with you, I expect you to give him your full attention. Alya, you now the rules no phones in class." I looked to Alya to see her frown and slowly put her phone away. Next to her Marinette had her head in her hands. Shaking her head slightly.

I cleared my throat, unsure of how to start then an idea came to me.

"Yesterday afternoon while on patrol, a police officer approached me asking if i could keep an eye out for a girl, her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I found the girl of course," I smirked a little here, "but the reason she went missing in the first place was because she had been unfairly bullied. I am here to let you know, it is unfair to compare someone to a superhero, how could they be anything like that superhero? They don't have super powers. So next time be careful what you say, or you just might be getting a house visit form a black cat." I finished and set a dazzling smile on my face and looked to wards Marinette. She however, did not looked pleased in the slightest. instead she looked rather sad, her bright blue eyes lined silver with tears. Did I say something wrong? She looked at me and then looked away her bangs falling in her face. It was almost as if she couldn't bare to look at me.

I left, feeling elated but slightly confused, though I knew no one would dare to bully her again, I didn't understand why she looked so down. 

I walked outside the school releasing the transformation, and Plagg just looked at me instead of going for the Camembert like he usually did. I looked at him quizzically.

"What?" I finally asked, and Plagg sighed.

"You call that helping?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe you shouldn't have told her that she isn't as good as Ladybug? You basically just told her what Chloe has been telling her for the past few days except smiling while you did it. You really are stupid. And complicated. This is why you stick to camembert, less things can go wrong." he then held his hand (paw? I don't know what you called a kwamii's hand) out for cheese.

I numbly gave it to him. Then hung my head in my hand.

What had I done?

_**Marinette POV** _

No sooner had he left then I put my hand up and excused myself for the bathroom, remaining strong until I heard the door close behind me, then I burst into tears. Knowing I couldn't just sit outside the classroom crying, someone would see me, I made my way to the bathroom, sliding down the wall onto the filthy floor, not even caring if someone came in and saw me there.

Not even my partner thought I was good enough as Marinette, no one did. I couldn't even here Tikki as I stared at the wall across from me. Taking in the graffiti.

_Poor little soul. No one appreciates your efforts. I can offer you the ability to show people that you are just as good as Ladybug, if not better, however I will need something in return.._

"The Miraculouses, I know."

_I see I have an expert,_ the voice in my head sound slightly amused,  _go then, go and show them what you can do._

I smiled as the darkness covered me, smothering Tikki's crys. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay some things;  
> 1) Ultracrepidarianism- it basically means giving advice in something you are not qualified on giving advice on.  
> 2)Chat you idiot  
> 3) Any ideas for her akumatized name?   
> 4) also i think that the kwamii's can see what chat and ladybug are doing why transformed, but can't say anything to their chosen. I believe this because in dark cupid where plagg tells adrien how horrible he is. Just thought i'd clarify.
> 
> Thank you all for your support, please comment with ideas and advice is welcome, I love hearing what you guys think about my work. Stay Awesome! :)


	6. Abashed the Devil Stood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to 'justsomebread' who helped me come up with a name for the akuma.

_** Adrien's POV ** _

It wasn’t the wind that had plastered the worried look on my face. It wasn’t the fact that the streets were utterly deserted either, though that did concern me as well. No, it was the silence.

I knew by now of course that Marinette was the akuma mentioned in all of the news feeds, the ones warning people to stay away from where I was headed. I was concerned because when there was an akuma, chaos followed. Screams, shouts and the pounding of trampling feet the along footpath. Not silence. Never silence.

So when I found a conveniently dark and dead ended alley way, I quickly called for my transformation. 

"Plagg, Claws Out!" and when a few moments later, Chat Noir could be seen hurtling across the Paris skyline towards the Akuma, no one was any the wiser, and that was the way I liked it.

When I spotted her, (Pun not intended but greatly appreciated none the less) I had to do a double take. She was standing there looking up at me with a cold smirk alighting her features. It was a smirk devoid of any warmth or humor, and it looked plain wrong on the face of someone I had seen smiling at everyone that passed her. 

She was clad in yellow spandex that faded into orange just before the black combat boots that adorned her dainty feet started. She was spotted all over with black dots, even on the small mask that covered her features.

She looked eerily similar to Ladybug, especially with the addition of a yellow yo-yo strung around her waist, and the hair pulled back into twin ponytails, her raven black hair held with yellow ribbon.

It hurt to see her like this, it hurt even more to know that it was my fault. The least pessimistic person in the whole class had been turned into an akuma because of me and my stupid thoughtless words. 

It was with startling clarity that her words burst through his reverie.

"What, no pitiful meowing? Does the cat have your tongue?" she looked entirely too pleased with herself at this remark, her icy blue crystal eyes glimmering with a dark mirth.

I plastered a fake smile onto my face.

"It seems someone's jealous of the cat's meow."  I tightened my clawed grasp upon my baton, the tension in the air thickening. She laughed at my comment. A faint tinkling sound, but it was fake.

"No it just seems that Ladybug is no where to be found. Looks like your puns have finally scared her off." She stalked towards me, grabbing the yo-yo off her waist and swinging it at an leisurely pace beside her.

I took a step backwards in the face of her advancement. She was right, Ladybug was no where to be seen, and that did not bode well. Without her, I couldn't defeat the akuma. The only thing I could do was play for time.

So with a smirk in the direction of akumatized Marinette, that was exactly what I did.

_** Alya's POV ** _

The question that I was often asked by people who didn't know me was did I read the news feeds. Yes, I read the news feeds, how else was i going to be able to find where the akuma was at? Did I ignore the important message to stay away from the akuams however? The answer was yes. Yes I did.

I was told by one of the doctors who came to talk to me and the rest of my family after we had decided to turn off my sister's life support, that they encouraged us all to get back to our lives. At the time I had wanted to throw it all back in his pitying face. How was I supposed to go back to my normal way of life when the person that I had taken for a given was no longer there.

Now as I stared at the battle raging on in front of me, I realised the wisdom of his words.

Maybe if I had gotten back to life sooner I could've stopped Marinette from getting to this stage. Sure, I was really pissed at her, but I understood it wasn't her fault. I just needed to lash out with my anger at someone, and Marinette had provided the perfect opportunity.

It wasn't fair, I knew it was, but that logic didn't work on me when I had just had one of my little sisters taken from me, because that wasn't fair either. Especially since I couldn't blame the driver, he was only trying to avoid hitting another little girl, an my sister had just happend to be in the way.

Try how I might however, I couldn't just sit back and watch Chloe bad mouth her. Not my style. No one got to bad mouth Marinette. Even after that though, i couldn't bring my self to ask forgiveness from her, I knew she would understand, Mari always understood, and that somehow only made it worse. She was far to forgiving, far to kind and upbeat. I never thought she could be akumatized, never gave a second thought about it when she ran out of the class in tears.

And now here I was. Recording my own friend attacking one of Paris' heroes. 

It hurt. Seeing Chat Noir jumping around her yelling insults that seemed to lack there usual luster. He was playing for time, anyone could tell that. He was fighting more strategically than usually as well, trying to keep the akuma, who had decided to rename herself Adalia, (which a quick google search would tell you was a type of ladybug) in the one place, presumably so that Ladybug could find them easier.

The cat was tiring quickly though, doing flips and somersaults in an atttempt to aviod Adalia's fast spinning and hard hitting yo-yo was quickly wearing him out. After a while though, it became evident even to Chat Noir that Ladybug wasn't going to show, he stopped fighting so intensely, and seemingly the fight paused for a moment.

He then clipped his baton onto the back of his belt and raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"Marinette, I know it's you in there, can we talk?"

And I watched dumbfounded as Marinette hesitantly placed her yo-yo back on her waist and grimaced taking a step forward.

_**Marinette's POV** _

"Sure." I  heard the word come out of my mouth as if from a distance. I could hear my head ringing with Hawk Moth's insistent whispering.

Chat's expression was no less surprised than mine. His eyes lighting up in hope and suspicion while he cautiously took a step towards me.

"Marinette, listen, I know what people have been saying is wrong. You don't need Hawk Moth's help to prove that. You prove them wrong everyday by just being you. So what? People have been taken you for granted, I have been taking you for granted, but you can prove them wrong without hawk moth."

I stood still, just standing there, my mind and heart at war with each other. My heart was hurting. I had been taken for granted for too long, Ladybug always got the spotlight, while Marinette did just as much but nobody saw it, and nobody appreciated it. However my brain saw through Hawk Moth's lies. What could Hawk Moth give me? He didn't know me. He only saw that I was vulnerable and hurting and was exploiting those feelings for his own gains. But for once I wanted to lash out, to hurt everybody as I had been hurt, to do something selfish for me and not have to worry about the repercussions. I wanted to show them that it was Marinette that was capable of doing this. Marinette, not Ladybug. But then again, was it worth it?

Then Hawk Moth whispered, and all thoughts of struggling flew from my head.

_ That's not what he was saying a while ago, was it. He thinks you are no where near as good as Ladybug, he doesn't appreciate you, he doesn't know you. He confesses his dying love to you in your mask and then scorns you out of it. Don't let yourself be deluded by his lies. _

So I grabbed my yo-yo, and in a detached sort of way threw it at him. He was only just able to dodge it, flipping over it and yelling out to me as he ran along the walls of the building that a second ago was behind him. _  
_

"Don't listen to him Marinette, he's a liar."

I felt the tears begin to brim my eyes as I flicked my wrist and sent my yo-yo flying towards him again.

"So what," I heard myself say, the hurt, frustration and anger clear in my voice, "he's not the only one."

He seemed to get that this comment was aimed at him.  Confusion and hurt flashed in his slitted emerald eyes. Of course, he was too stupid to put two and two together. Ladybug was missing and Marinette was akuamtized, but maybe he just couldn't understand how someone like me, could be someone like  _her._ It made me angrier.

I flung my yo-yo towards him harder and harder, with new found vigor, fueled by my anger and self deprecation. Finally, I caught him, he no longer had the energy to avoid my attacks. I had caught him.

I reeled him in towards me, dragging him across the ground like a sack of potatoes. He looked up at me, his eyes unfathomable and his nose scrunched up in pain.

_ His  _ _ miraculous _ Hawk Moth whispered in my ear.

_I know_. I thought back, a cruel smile twisting my features, as I reached my hand slowly towards his ring.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again thank you to 'justsomebread' for helping me come up with a name for the akuma. Be prepared next chapter for a seriously clueless Adrien.


	7. Hollowed Out

_**Adrien's POV** _

I was stupid. I had hurt her and because of that Hawkmoth was going to win. My back hurt as I was dragged roughly across the ground, the wire form the yo-yo cutting into my skin. Adalia's were eyes hard, the blue no longer wavering like they were a moment ago. Her mouth was set into a thin line, her eye brows drawn together as she heaved me towards her. I wasn't exactly making it easy for her, I was thrashing around like a fish out of water.

She smiled when I was finally below her feet, a purple butterfly appearing over her face, and I griminced. I could only guess what Hawkmoth was saying to her. Exploiting her, using her, making sure she came through with her end of the bargain. I knew that if something didn't happen and fast I was gone for. I couldn't do anything, my arms were strapped to my sides so calling upon cataclysm would be useless. I had only one thing I could do.

"Please Marinette, stop this isn't you. Don't listen to him. Remember who you are!" My increasingly desperate crys fell deaf ears as her hand slowly reached out towards my ring. My struggling intensified and just as I thought she was going to pluck it from my finger, a blur of auburn hair and glasses flew past me, dive tackling Marinette to the ground. 

"Alya!" I gasped my voice rough and stupefied with surprised. As the two rolled on the ash felt with Alya eventually landing on top, I stood shakily up as the Yo-yo retracted and Adalia shoved Alya off her and roughly hauled her over her shoulder  and ran away with her, flinging her yo-yo and landing on a roof top before continuing her running, her footsteps considerably heavier from the weight she was carrying. Not that lay was heavy or anything. GAH this was getting me nowhere.

I sighed rubbing my arm from where the wire had been cutting me, and grabbing my baton before hurdling away after her, seeing a yellow blur in the distance suddenly stop and shove Alya into a stair well and closing the door before jamming it stuck.

She turned to face me, smirking.

"What, tired of this cat and bug game already?"

She swung her yo-yo towards me and I only just managed to avoid it, my breath coming in harsh pants and my tired muscles wobbling form the stress, my wrists cramping from swinging my baton to hit the yo-yo away and my eyebrows drawn together in severe concentration, scrunching up my mask.

The akuma turned around and ran jumping across roof tops and in sighting a chase, is paused only long enough to call upon cataclysm and yell at down the stair to where Alya could hopefully hear me, "Get out of there and go get help, preferably in the form of a spotted super heroine, though I'm not picky." I rushed away after that, not waiting to hear the reply, if I ever even got one.

If ladybug was here I knew she would be chastising me on the stupid use of cataclysm, but she wasn't here, and I knew desperate times called for desperate measures so I followed Adalia over the roof tops keeping up with her. I stopped when she reached the end of the last building on the street, the cars busily rushing by underneath her and the police in the area quickly evacuating the civilians. She turned to face me.

My legs were shaking from the extra exertion, my ring giving it's first warning beep, and my breath coming in short shallow gasps. I knew that if we were to engage in any sort of combat I would be at a disadvantage. There was a limit to the physical abilities my miraculous could bestow upon them, and I was at the limit.

I knew I was beaten when I saw it, I wasn't so naive as to think I could beat this akuma by myself. I wasn't going to give up though, I owed to Alya who had just been shoved down a stair case for my sake that much. I owed Marinette that much, because I knew she wouldn't want to me give up, even if she was the one currently fighting me.

So I fought on and when I ducked to late and the yo-yo wrapped itself around my throat strangling me, I didn't ask for mercy, no I looked at the akuma right in the eyes, the blue of them hard and watery from unshed tears and did the only thing that I could think of to make her loose her grip on her weapon.

I backed up to the edge of the roof, and I stepped over the edge, it was a quick fall, though it seemed like an eternity, and as I saw the akuma fumble and realise what was happening she didn't even flinch when she landed on top of me. Didn't look at me as she saw my last plan fail. She got up an tightened the yo-yo around my neck so that it was chocking my air ways.

I knew I was done. The akuma couldn't release me and get the ring as I would bound away and she couldn't pry it off me without letting go of her yo-yo, also releasing me. The only way for her to get my ring was for her to let me choke.

So I accepted it. I knew that once I was gone and she bought the ring to Hawkmoth he would release her from the state she was in, and with no miraculous cure in sight, as Ladybug had disappeared, she would have to live forever knowing what she had done.

So I vowed to try and make it easier for her. If my last act as a hero was to lessen the pain that I will undoubtedly cause, then I would die a hero, and there were worse ways to die. 

So I held her gaze and I stopped struggling. I looked her in the eyes as I opened my mouth to speak.

"It's okay," I managed to rasp out. "I forgive you." and when lining of silver in her eyes spilled over, I smiled gently. 

There were certainly worse ways to die.

_**Marinette's POV** _

**No.**

_it doesn't matter if her dies, what are you waiting for?_

**No**

The pain that came with refusing him, he would take away my powers.

**No.**

_Why do you care about him? He doesn't care about you._

**No.**

_What does being a hero accomplish, nobody will care about you._

**No.**

_He's a liar, he may act like a hero but deep down he's selfish, if he wants to play at being a hero let him die a martyr._

**No.**

The whispers grew insistent and soon pain was racking through my body, but all I could see were green slitted eyes forgiving me even when I was causing his death. Believing in me even when no one else did.

**No.**

_Your family and friends don't appreciate you, if you go back now you are just condemning yourself to a fate of nothingness._

**No.**

Lies. My friends and family cared. I was just too blind to see it.

**No.**

The pain became intensified and I cried out out sinking to my knees, the yo-yo slackening dropping.

**No.**

I would not be disillusioned. Not again, I would no longer believe in his lies. 

_If this is how you wish to play it miss Dupain-Cheng, then we will see each other again._

Then the pain disappeared, and I became aware of someone sitting beside me as my shoulders shook, whispering words of comfort as the transformation disappeared.

But I didn't care, I was blind to it all, blind to the little Kwamii that flew discreetly inside my shirt jacket and nuzzled up to me.

I was blinded with the knowledge that I could've killed my partner, blinded with the knowledge that I would've killed my partner. So when the darkness came and claimed me, I welcomed it.

_**Arien's POV** _

I watched as the purple butterfly appeared over her face, watched as she shrunk to her knees, crying out in pain. I could do nothing until the yo-yo released me, and i rushed towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder as tears silently made there way down her flushed cheeks. I watched as the transformation released her, leaving Marinette there. I held onto her trembling shoulder whispering words of comfort into her ear that she only half heard.

I caught her as she blacked out, the light fading from her eyes as she crumpled in on her self. I caught her and carried her away from the prying eyes, away from the news reporters that were setting up there cameras, trying to find the identity of the girl in my arms. I wasn't going to let that happen. I shielded her from view, picking her up in my arms and carrying her bridal style, turning her face towards me so they could look at it.

I ignored the question that were yelled at me as I hurtled over the top of them, my ring flashing as I barged through eh bakery door, ignoring the surprised looks of customers as I walked straight past them and handed Marinette to her father who had come in form the bakery when he heard the commotion, his eyes immediately turning to Marinette, before turning back and pausing at the door.

"Be gentle with her, she's been through a lot."

And with that I ran out the door running behind a nearby advertisement pole, (which coincidentally had my face on it), and detransforming, catching Plagg in my hand before fishing camembert out of my pocket and giving it to him, waiting for him to swallow it whole before speaking.

"Where was Ladybug?"

He snickered.

"What makes you think i i know?"

"Plagg!"  I reprimanded grabbing him by the tail and dangling him in front of my face.

"Alright i'll tell you," he snickered again, "she was extremely busy."

"Busy! that's no excuse, I almost died, and thanks to her, Marinette is going to remember every painful second of what happend."

Plagg snorted at me.

"You really are dense aren't you."

With that he flew into my jacket leaving me grumbling at him.

How was I dense?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrien asking how you are dense just makes you denser. 
> 
> Sorry for leaving you guys waiting. I honestly didn't mean to and the creative juices just weren't flowing. Also I don't know how many more chapters i'm going to write for this, it really just depends on what you guys want.
> 
> Also be prepared for more oblivious muffins.


	8. Tell that to My Dreams

_**Marinette's POV** _

My day so far had been pretty bland. My parents insisted that I stayed at home for a day after what happened and they refused to let me help in the bakery. I was told to go up to my room and 'rest'. So I had spent the whole day binge watching Disney movies. Alya had called me at the end of the school day apologizing for her actions even though I insisted it was my fault. Apparently we had no homework other than we had to read the next chapter of "Sleeping Beauty". So after reading the chapter and finishing all of the Disney movies that I owned I was stuck in a vicious cycle of boredom.

"Marinette! Stop wallowing in self pity, it doesn't look good on you at all!" Tikki's voice was substantially muffled thanks to the pillow I had buried my head in. I just groaned and buried my head in the pillow as a response. Tikki sighed.

"Come on Marinette, why don't you go and design, that always makes you feel better?"

I groaned again but lifted my head to look at Tikki, all I wanted to do was wallow in self pity, but Tikki was right, I should do something productive. Sometimes it was horrible to have a kwami that was always right.

I sat up and smiled softly at Tikki. 

"You're right, how about I go get some cookies and we head up onto the balcony so we can get some fresh air while I design?" Tikki buzzed around me happily.

"That sounds great Marinette!" I smiled and climbed down the ladder from my bed, walking softly down the stairs and into the kitchen, taking out a tray and filling it with cookies before heading back up the stairs and onto my balcony. I grabbed a blanket and my sketchbook on the way, smiling out at Paris as I reclined onto my chair, putting the plate of cookies beside Tikki and listening to her munch softly on one of them before flipping open my sketch book and tapping my pencil on my chin in thought.

The designs flew from my fingertips, forming elegant outfits with swirling patterns. Suddenly Tikki sat up straight.

"Marinette, Chat Noir's calling you." I sighed and closed the sketch book beside me, placing the pencil down beside it.

"Let's go Tikki, we cant keep him waiting." Tikki smiled up at me, drawing strength from that smile, I drew on my courage and transformed. I wasn't sure if Chat Noir had figured out my identity or not, so my head was swimming with worst case scenarios. I climbed over the railing and swung away into Paris stopping only once to check where he was located, and swinging off in his direction.

I landed on the building with a dull thump, smiling and walking towards him.

"Hey Chat, what did you want to talk..." I faded off into silence, Chat was sitting on the edge of the roof, his feet dangling off the building down below him. His black suit was stretched tight over his shoulders, the tension palpable in them.

"Where were you?" he said softly but vehemently . I swallowed the lump in my throat, the tension coiling in my stomach.

"I was-" I started, but he cut me off.

"No, you don't get it. Where. Were. You." his voice was shaking with anger and disappointment.

"I'm sorry Chat. I got caught up as a civilian." I replied my voice subdued.

"I almost died LB. A civilian had to save me, and the girl had to break free of Hawkmoth's control all by herself."

I flinched when he turned towards me, his eyes holding disappointment.

"You of all people should know Ladybug," he continued, "being a superhero comes before everything else."

"I know, I'm sorry."

He just sighed and shook his head, blond locks flying everywhere. "Don't say sorry to me, say sorry to Marinette."

I shuddered at his tone of voice, and once I started I couldn't stop, soon my whole body was racked with trembles. He just looked at me, his eyes unfathomable behind his mask.

"How does it even work, I mean you didn't free the akuma from evil and I didn't see it fly away, so what happens now?" His tone of voice was carefully controlled, but still had an underlying current of anger.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully, "this has never happened before, I'll ask my kwami."

I was still standing a few metres away from him, and he did not look inclined to reach out to me and close the distance between us at all. I was at a loss for what to do.

The lights of Paris were illuminating his face, the city giving off a pale glow that softened his features. His eyes however remained as smooth as glass when he looked at me. Cold, indifferent and not sure what he was looking at through it. He was looking at me like a stranger, and I realised two things;

1) He no longer trusted me and

2) I was not wanted here.

With a heavy heart I turned and fled into the night, flying as if the very hounds of hell themselves were chasing me. When I finally arrived at my deceptively peaceful home, I flung myself onto my bed, sobbing into my blankets and calling for my detransformation, with Tikki trying to comfort me.

I cried myself into an exhausted sleep. Only to wake up panting hours later when nightmares of Chat's face pleading at me to let him go as I strangled him stained the back of my eyelids, a silent scream stuck in the back of my throat. 

The next morning my parents took one look and my puffy bloodshot eyes and told me I was having another day off school. I didn't even argue, just went back upstairs into my room and lay face up on my bed, staring silently at the ceiling and wondering how I could have screwed up so badly.

**_Adrien's POV_ **

Marinette was away from school at again. One look at Alya was enough to tell me that. her eyes were down cast, the worry for her friend smothering the normal brightness in them. Nino laid a comforting hand on her shoulder but she didn't respond to it at first, and then she looked up at him and smiled tightly. She then turned her gaze to me.

"Morning Adrien."

"Morning Alya." I responded, smiling softly at her. She returned my smile, and together we headed into school making our way to the classroom and sitting down in our respective seats. Nino and I turned around to face Alya so we could include her in our conversation. Nino was taking extra care to make her laugh, her gold eyes lighting up at his silly jokes and easing the tension in the room. Everything was going fine, well as fine as it could go with Marinette noticeably absent, until Chloe entered the room.

She swept in with Sabrina following in her wake, carrying all of their books. She flicked her blond hair over her shoulders and her eyes zeroed in on me.

"Adrikins!" she squealed, leaning over the desk as far as she could and batting her eyelashes innocently up at me. I frowned at her.

"Hey Chloe." She laughed at me, turning her face towards where Nino and Alya had paused their conversation to glare at her. 

"What do you want Chloe." Alya spat out between her clenched teeth.

"Oh I just wanted to see where Marinette Dupain-Cheng was, absent again it seems." She smiled sourly, white teeth flashing in the light. The whole class had gone silent.

"It's none of your business if she is absent or not Chloe." Alya responded, her gold eyes flashing with suppressed rage.

"It seems as though Marinette hasn't been able to cope with a little akumatization. Ladybug didn't even care enough to show up." she cackled again then looked around. The whole class was staring at her as if she had grown a second head. The air was silent air was pregnant with anticipation. Alya looked as if she was going to jump over her desk and throttle Chloe and Nino was staring at her with disgust.

"Chloe, that's enough." I whispered, shaking my head slightly. Chloe ignored me, continuing to look around the class.

"What, it's true you know." she said with a cackle, adjusting her sunglasses on top of her head, and starting to fidget slightly beneath the combined weight of the whole classes attention.

"Chloe." I said again, louder this time.

"What Adrikins, don't tell me you're going to side with them," she spat the word them as if it were a particularly nasty bug that she had found on the bottom of her designer shoe, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng is just a common piece of trash, she doesn't deserve to even be in the presence of people like us." 

I stood up angrily, my fist coming down on the desk beside me and the whole class seemed to flinch. 

"Enough Chloe." I said quite loudly, emphasizing my words. 

"Adrikins." Chloe whined weakly batting her lashes at me and pouting. Her ice blue eyes looking at me pitifully.

"Don't 'Adrikins' me Chloe. This time you have crossed a line. If Marinette is a 'Piece of common trash' ", I put air quotes around the words, spitting them out with disdain, "then what does that make you? Because Marinette is ten times better that anything you'll ever be."

Chloe was staring at me in shock and I'm pretty sure the rest of the class was as well. I had never gotten angry with Chloe. Annoyed, yes, but angry? No. I glared into her ice blue eyes, refusing to back down even when they started to swell with tears and her lips wobbled. She ran out of the classroom with Sabrina hot on her heels. I knew she would get over it quickly, and probably go complaining to her Daddy, but for the moment I couldn't care less, I looked around the classroom anxiously, gauging their reactions. Suddenly Alix let out a wolf whistle and the class broke into cheers. 

Nino patted me on the back and Alya looked at me proudly. Kim came and clapped me on the shoulder and I was getting heaps of congratulations.

"You finally stood up to Chloe, de rose, who was looking at me with adoration.

it was awesome!" Kim said his lips brought up into a smirk.

"She finally got what was coming," Max agreed.

"Awesome." Juleka said standing beside Rose, who was looking at me with quiet admiration shining in her twinkling blue eyes.

Soon however the whole class quieted down when Miss Bustier walked in, commencing class. People where still whispering however, and shooting me appreciative glances. I was in shock, I didn't realise how much people wanted someone to stand up to Chloe, and I suddenly understood why Marinette was so popular, she was one of the only people who stood up to Chloe time and time again without caring for the consequences. I found myself a little in awe of her, and realised how good it felt to stand up on behalf of one of your friends. I smiled a little. Perhaps a day without Marinette didn't turn out so badly for the class at all.

**o/0\o**

The day had passed really quickly. All the lessons went quickly, and even without Marinette present everyone seemed happy. Alya was smiling a bit more than yesterday and when school finished, she invited Nino and I to come and see Marinette with her. Of course we both accepted, and after telling the Gorilla not to pick me up, I walked with Nino and Alya over to the Dupain-Cheng's house. Sabine was working the till and talking to one of the customers and when they left, she noticed us and smiled.

"Alya! It's nice to see you! And is that Nino?" Nino smiled sheepishly at this, "oh and Adrien as well!" I scratched the back of my neck bashfully, looking away and blushing a bit.

"You must all come in, I'll be with you in a moment, Tom should be in there, make sure you get something to eat on the way through!" she smiled at us and ushered us all through to the house. 

Tom was in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water by the sink. When he noticed us his mustache twitched into a smile.

"You must be here to see Marinette!" he boomed coming forward and greeting us.  "There's some left over croissants from yesterday if you want some." He turned around and after hunting around in the pantry for a while he produced the before mentioned item. Nino and I sat down at the bench seats and participated in small talk. Alya practically inhaled her croissant and after leaning against the bench for a while, broke into the conversation.

"I'm going up to check on Marinette, come up when your finished." She then dashed up the stairs leaving Nino and I staring after her in bewilderment and Tom looking after her with fond amusement.

"She's a lively one isn't she," he chuckled a bit at that, "she's been good for Marinette though, after befriending her Marinette's confidence has increased tenfold. It's good to know that she has friends that look after her." We agreed and with that Tom, (as he insisted we call him) excused himself and went to go help in the bakery.

_**Marinette's POV** _

I awoke hearing the trap door open from where I was on the balcony, dozing slightly in the afternoon sun enjoying it's warmth Alya's head poked out and grinned manically up at me before she heaved herself up onto the balcony to join me.

"Hey Alya." I said sleepily, my eyelids fluttering drowsily.

"Hey yourself." She replied smiling and leaning down to muss my already sleep mussed hair. I leaned into the touch. I looked around to find that Tikki was already well hidden. I started when the trap door opened and Nino and Adrien made their way up onto my balcony.

"Alya," I hissed, and she leaned towards me. "Please tell me Adrien didn't see the posters all over my wall." I balked when said blond angel grinned at me happily from where he was standing beside Nino.

Alya laughed at my frightened expression.

"Don't worry girl, I took them down for you before he could see them." I sighed in relief.

Nino looked at Alya confusedly.

"See what?" 

"Nothing." she replied innocently, but the wicked grin she had on her face ruined the effect a bit. Nino just shook his head exasperated, he had learnt not to ask Alya for answers when she was like this though.

"We thought we'd come see you, seeing how you were away from school for a second day in a row!" I smiled sheepishly at them, wrapping my blanket around me further.

"I'm sorry, my parent wouldn't let me. I hope it wasn't too boring without me." I giggled a little at Alya's expression and turned to Nino.

"I'm sorry you had to put up with her for me." Nino smiled at me.

"It was a pleasure, just make sure you don't do it too often Nette, she's quite the handful." I giggled again when Alya cast Nino a betrayed look before turning to Adrien. I let out a small squeak when he smile at me and Alya shook her head bemused.

"H-hey Adrien." 

"Hi Marinette." 

When neither of us said anything else, Alya broke in.

"Girl you will not believe what Adrien did!"

I looked at her curiously. Adrien was sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck and Nino was laughing at his discomfort.

"Chloe was being her normal mean self and was making rude comments about you and Adrien totally flipped" Nino said.

Nino and Alya then launched into a description of what happend making me laugh with their Chloe impersonations.

I smiled at the two of them giggling when they got to the part of Chloe storming out of the room, which Nino pulled off by flipping his imaginary hair over his shoulder and storming off. Adrien looking extremely uncomfortable and took the end of the story as a way to barge into the conversation.

"What did you to today Marinette." I froze slightly looking away from them.

"Nothing much," I whispered, "Just tried to catch up o-on sleep." Behind my back Alya and Nino traded worried glances. An awkward silence ensued. No one wanting to ask the obvious question of why I had to catch up on sleep. 

Alya finally started up another conversation and before long everybody had left, leaving me staring out over Paris as the sun slowly faded beneath the horizon and one by one the lights of the city turned on. I felt Tikki come and land on my shoulder, nuzzling into my neck. I raised one hand to cup her, smiling softly to myself.

I gradually fell asleep falling into a cascade of dreams and forgetting about everything.

_**Adrien's POV** _

I was restless, pacing around my room, and sitting, only to stand again a few moment later. I was even starting to annoy Plagg.

I felt a something hit me in my head, I turned around to discover a piece of smelly camembert on the ground near my feet and an annoyed looking Plagg staring at me from across the room from where he was sitting on my bed.

"Hey, what was that for?" Plagg, if possible, looked even more annoyed by the question.

"What do you think? your beginning to annoy me with all of this constant movement. I even wasted a good piece of cheese throwing it at your head."

I sighed at Plaggs antics.

"Well, what do you suggest I do instead? Marinette didn't look well at all! Did you see how puffy and red her eyes were? It looked like she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep!" 

"Yeah, well what are you going to do lover boy?" ignoring the nickname I stared at Plagg.

"I don't know. I'm not really close to her, I mean I don't think she likes me Plagg, she always stutters around me." Plagg muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'oblivious idiot' but I chose to ignore him for the sake of my sanity.

'I don't know, why don't you go and patrol or something as Chat Noir? Anything beats sitting here and watching you pace." I smiled at Plagg

"really?"

"Why do you think I said it if I didn't mean it?" Plagg responded grumpily, and my smile grew even larger.

'Plagg, Claw's Out!"

With my transformation in place, I climbed out my window and hurtled into Paris. Jumping over building and feeling the wind whip through my hair.

I stopped suddenly when I spotted Marinette sitting on her lawn chair crying, the tears streaming down her face. I stopped, landing in front of her, but she seemed to not notice me approaching her. I reached out a hand to place it on her shoulder but she flinched away.

I stayed silent, not asking what was wrong, waiting for her to speak to me instead.

"Why did nobody tell me I hurt you?" she sobbed out, and I gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder and, encouraged when she didn't flinch away this time, used my other hand to gently tilt her head towards me.

"You didn't hurt me Princess, that was Hawkmoth, and you were strong enough to break out of his control."

"I still hurt you." she said again, this time quieter and more subdued. I shook my head at her stubbornness.

"No, Hawkmoth hurt me." she just hiccuped a laugh.

"Tell that to the dreams." and without even having to ask what she meant I pulled her into a hug, resting her head on my chest. Anger bubbling up in me at Ladybug, this could've been avoided if she had shown up. But I sat with Marinette and held her and wished that the nightmares that were bothering her would go away, and hoped that being there would somehow help to ease the pain in her heart.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my longest chapters. I am really proud of how this worked out. Please comment, it always makes my day when people do. Thank you.


	9. Crazy Theories Flying Through the Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I am sorry for the late update. Here in Australia School has just started up again and I have been busy getting my life reorganised. Also I had a bit of writer's block so I apologize for that as well. Nevertheless, enjoy! Also, shout out to anyone who can spot the subtle harry potter reference I made in it!

_**Alya's POV** _

I can't say that I was feeling overjoyed at the moment. My best friend had just been akumatized, which was partly my fault, and when I went to see her she looked horrible. Sure, she might have been able to fool Nino and Angel boy, but she did not fool me. Red puffy eyes with bags underneath them and cracked lips? Something was definitely wrong with my girl. And I'd be damned if I wasn't going to get to the bottom of it.

The ladyblog had exploded overnight after the Marinette's Akuma attack. Speculation regarding it had grown from, "I wonder if Ladybug and Chat Noir are together" to, "Where was Ladybug?" of course with the last question it led to quite some crazy theories. Some of the theories were your run of the mill, "Maybe Ladybug was at the dentist, maybe that's why she didn't show up!" and then you had the other ones. The ones that, try as I might I couldn't over look.

These theories stated that the only reason for ladybug not to show up was because she happened to be the person akumatized, which happened to put me in a very precarious predicament as said person was actually my best friend and this theory was not as crazy as it sounded.  

The evidence surrounding it covered everything from looks to the fact that they had never been seen in the same spot. I started blocking all of the posts about it, fearful for Ladybug's identity, and terrifed that they were right. Because if they were right it meant that I was not only a bad reporter, but the worst best friend ever.

I decided to keep my suspicions to myself for now. I didn't want to be wrong and put Marinette in an awkward situation. I didn't want to be right, and have Marinette in an even awkwarder situation. So even though I was nearly positive about my guess, I didn't want to pursue it. If Marinette didn't want to tell me, then she had a good reason for it, that I was sure of.

It also explained why she had looked so hurt when people started comparing her to ladybug. It must have hurt to have people think so highly of one side of you, and completely hate the other. Not to mention how Chloe worshipped Ladybug and loathed Marinette. If Chloe ever found out... karma is certainly a bitch. 

I heard a knock on my bedroom door, and it opened to show a less than pleased looking Mum. 

"Alya, what are you doing on your phone at this time of night? You have school tomorrow!" she stood there looking at me angrily. I sighed, and held out my phone to her. she strode over and plucked it out of my hands, her auburn hair flying around her face frizzly, her Pajamas shifting around her movements.

Her severe look softend. Her mouth smiling slightly at me.

"Good Night Alya, don't ever forget I love you." and with that she strode out of the room, my phone in her hand.

I smiled slightly back. After my little sister died, Mum had become more open in her affection for us. Taking every opportunity to remind us she loved us. Which reminds me, I thought as I snuggled down under the covers and faced the wall on my side.

Maybe Marinette needs a reminder of how much we love her too.

**/o/0\o\**

  _ **Adrien's POV**_

The day was going better than most. The only photoshoot I had today had been cancelled due to the fact that some problems had arisen with the clothing, and they had to redo most of the line. Then I found out my Chinese lessons had been cancelled due to the fact that the teacher had come down with a bad case of the flu.

Then there was the fact that Marinette was coming to school today, according to Alya who had showed up early and out of breathe with a huge grin on her face and a wicked glint in her eyes. Which leads me to the plan.

Alya had organised for the four of us to go to the park after school with Marinette and some of our classmates, (everyone except Chloe), and have a picnic. Everyone had chipped in, donating lunches and other food sources to the cause. The plan was to make Marinette feel wanted again, because Alya speculated that after the whole akuma business and the fact that nobody stood up for her, it made her feel unwelcome and unappreciated.

I immediately texted Nathalie with the new plan, ecstatic when for once, she agreed. I had been talking it over with Nino and Alya all day, finalising the plan with the rest of the class during lunch break behind Marinette's back, which we achieved by Alya telling Marinette she had a very important meeting with the other class presidents. (She didn't and had come back looking very annoyed).

It was last period, and I was sitting at my desk staring at the clock, waiting for the bell to ring to signal the end of class. Mlle. Bustier had decided to hand out our english test results in the last five minutes of class and Nino and I had both received good grades, it seemed that not everyone had though, because as we turned around to discuss the results with Alya and Marinette we were interrupted by a high pitched shriek.

We whipped our heads around towards the source, not at all surprised to find that it was Chloe, who was standing up with one hand on the desk and her eyes flashing at Mll. Bustier angrily, Sabrina had slid closer to her and had placed a placating hand on her arm. Chloe didn't seem to notice and she opened her mouth to begin an onslaught to the teacher.

"What is this grade, there must be a mistake, this is not my paper!" 

To her credit, Mlle. Bustier didn't even blink, merely looking Chloe straight in the eye as she responded.

"Chloe, that is clearly your paper, it has your name on it and that is your hand writing. I am sorry if you do not like the grade you got, maybe paying attention in class and studying further could increase this grade."

Chloe made a noise, halfway between a chough and a sound of disbelief.

"It must have been graded wrong then!"

Mlle. Bustier sighed.

"Chloe, all of the english papers this time have been graded by me, I assure you that it was graded correct."

Chloe looked furious, her blue eyes dilated and her breath coming in pants. She stormed flippantly out of the room Sabrina hot on her heels her last words before the door slammed behind her the ever so familiar,

"My Father will here about this."

Mlle. Bustier sighed and sat down at her desk, looking up at the clock before facing us again, looking very tired while doing so.

"You can have free time until the end of class," she said, before taking out a stack of paperwork and beginning to fill it out. Soon Mr. Damocles appeared in the doorway, a smug Chloe standing behind him. He looked slightly nervous, and fidgeted slightly in his suit.

"Miss Bustier, a word in my office please."

Looking as if she expected it, Mlle Bustier got up and faced the class again.

"You may have an early mark, just make sure you read the next chapter of "Sleeping Beauty" and I will see you all tomorrow."

With that she turned and walked out of the classroom, which remained silent for a few moments before Alya winked at Nino and I before grabbing Marinette by the hand and dragging her out of the classroom by the wrist, despite her complaints. After the door closed behind the two the rest of the class quickly packed up and followed them out of the door, making sure to keep a safe distance behind them. 

We arrived at the park shortly after them, and Ivan spotted them sitting together at a park bench laughing together. We all approached them carefully keeping quiet and Alya smiled at us and kept Marinette distracted until we were nearly ontop of them, at which point Marinette turned around and shrieked, falling of the chair and landing in a pile on the grass. 

Alya laughed at her and offered a hand to help her up.

"Surprise girl, I bet you didn't' expect this!"

Marinette looked flabbergasted, looking between Alya, the class, the food and other all sorted items they were holding.

"What is this for?" she said her voice softer and unsurer than it had been a second ago talking to Alya. Beside me Nino stepped forward, looking at Alya before turning her attention to Marinette.

"Alya here thought you might need a pick me up, you know, after everything that happened. She even convinced us all to join her."

"Yeah," Rose quickly followed up, "We wanted you to know you're appreciated Marinette, because we haven't been very good friends lately, not helping when you were obviously hurt."

Looking rather touched by this, Marinette stepped forward and engulfed Rose in a hug. Soon it turned into a ground hug, and I got quashed between Ivan and Nino. Too soon though we pulled away laughing and giggling.

"Come on guys, let's get this party started!" Kim shouted throwing the frisbee, Alix laughing at him and running off to catch it. Soon everyone broke into groups, playing and laughing and sitting around eating. I was sitting with Nino, Alya, Rose, Juleka and Marinette.

Nino was telling a funny story to them, and they were all laughing, the sound entwining with the other sounds of merriment around us. Marinette was leaning back against the park bench next to Alya on the end. Her cheeks were flushed and her white teeth were flashing in the light.

She looked beautiful. There was no denying that. As I looked at her I realised that her beauty was not only because she was pretty, and she was very pretty,  but she was only beautiful because underneath that pretty exterior, there was a fragile strength. There is beauty in strength, beauty in the strength it takes to smile even after the world has thrown it's towel in on you. I should know, the world had thrown the towel in on me too.

The more I looked at her, the more I watched, the more I became fascinated by how even though she laughed her eyes did not completely light up. Not like the way Ayla, Rose and Juleka's did. They did not twinkle, and even when the sun hit them directly, there was still darkness in them. It was like being submerged under water and looking up into the light.

I must have been staring really obviously, because from beside me Nino dug his elbow into my side and raised one eyebrow, eyeing me and Marinette. I blushed at his insinuation. Shaking my head at him. He looked at me strangely before turning away, and I knew I was going to try and explain it to Nino.

_**Marinette's POV**_

It was peaceful. The birds singing in the trees, flying above the head, laughter ringing out through the park. It was almost picture perfect. Until it wasn't.

She came like a shadow, creeping through the trees. Adrien was the first to notice. Eyes widening and a serious expression drawing his eyebrows together and etching itself onto his face. 

"Guys," he said slowly, "I think we should leave." No sooner had he said it then there was a loud crash as a tree fell, missing where Kim was jumping to catch the frisbee by a hair's breadth. Then the screaming started, everyone panicked and ran in a different direction. I ignored what everyone else was doing and ran to find a place to hide and transform.

No point being late, I thought to myself grimly, that will just give Chat Noir another reason to be ticked off at me. After finding a safe place to hide, I pulled out my purse.

"Tikki," I called out worriedly, glancing nervously around me as she flew out, looking me in the eyes.

"Marinette?" she asked, looking at me concerned.

"Tikki," I said again, louder this time. "Spots On!"

With that she flew into my ear rings, the familiar pink glow of the transformation encasing me. I grabbed my yo-yo off my hip, and ran confidently towards the Akuma.

The akuma was short, with blood red dreadlock like tendrils issuing from her head. Her eyes were big and black, with no white showing and her tongue, when it flicked from her mouth, was forked. Her costume was black snake skin, which plated her whole body and ended at the beginning of her boots, which were as red as her hair and ended just below the knee. Attached to her wrists there were two huge white fang like things, that seemingly dripped fluid. Venom, I thought, and those are her fangs.

Chat Noir was already facing her. Spinning his staff in one hand and conversing with the villain. He was talking loud enough that even from across the park, I could hear it.

"What happened with you, I'm sure whatever it is we can resolve it without hurting anyone!"

"They called me a snake, so a snake I became!" she hissed. Chat Noir stopped spinning his staff and extended it, leaning lazily against it.

"Okay, listen, I don't particularly want to give up my miraculous snake girl, so how about you hand over the item the black butterfly flew in and we can call it a day?"

The girls black eyes grew larger and her forked tongue flickered out of her mouth.

"My name," she said slowly, looking directly at Chat, "is Ninia, not 'Snake Girl." and with that she launched herself at him, striking at him with her wrists, trying to hit him with her fangs.

I ran faster, catching up to them and wrapping her with my yo-yo from behind. 

"Nice of you to show up ladybug." he said, saying words that had been said as a joke a thousand times before, but this time held dry bitter humor. I opened my mouth to respond, but suddenly my arm was jerked and my yo-yo flying through the air. I retracted it and whipped around to see Ninia free of her restraints and grinning creepily at us.

Chat Noir considered the seen for a moment before opening his mouth and commenting;

"Snakes are rather slippery aren't they?" he then quickly launched himself at the Akuma, using the distraction I quickly ducked behind a park bench and called for my trump card.

"Lucky Charm!" a random item fell from the sky and into my hands. I looked around me, taking note of when my vision turned spotted. I quickly formulated a plan, and putting it into action, the akuma was quickly defeated.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" I yelled and watched as everything righted itself. There was no one around except the girl. She apologized for the trouble she had caused and after reassuring her she ran off. Another victim of bullying it seemed.

I sighed and sat down on a park bench, and after looking consideringly at me, Chat Noir sat down next to me. we sat and looked out over the deserted park, taking in the for once quiet spae.

"Chat listen, I wanted to apologize for what happened."

I didn't need to explain. We both knew what I was talking about.

He laughed, mirthlessly. From my peripheral vision I saw him shake his head, shaggy blond locks flying around him in a halo.

"I'm not made at you LB, if that's what you're asking. Just severely disappointed. You know, people are saying that maybe you just couldn't be bothered to show up, that maybe you didn't care."

"But I do." I replied softly, seeing his cat ears flick up at the quiet sound.

"Tell that to the girl who was akumatized, the only person who you couldn't be bothered to show up for." I felt a pang of guilt in my chest, though I knew it was irrational. It wasn't that I couldn't be bothered, it's that I physically couldn't. But that was my fault too, maybe if I had been stronger...

I cut that train of thought off where it had begun, there was no point lingering over things like that, lest I end up akumatized again.

"Chat, I know it doesn't mean much, but I really am sorry for what happened."

Chat remind silent for a moment before finally responding, turning his emerald green eyes towards me.

"I'm sorry Ladybug, but, I'm not sure if I can forgive you, it hurt me, both physically and emotionally to know you didn't think highly enough of me to turn up."

I gasped, shocked. How could he say such a thing?

"Is that what you really think of me, that I don't care about you."

He didn't respond, but his silence was answer enough.

"Chat, I care about you, I care about you more than I care about almost anyone! You are my closest friend, and I hate myself for it. I hate myself that I let you get hurt"

He stayed quiet.

I didn't know what else to say, I didn't know if there was anything else I needed to.

My earing beeped, so with a flick of my wrist, my yoyo tightened around the chimney of a distant building, I yanked and flew off, listening as the sound of cameras clicking below quietened the further I flew.

Finding an empty alleyway, and after transforming back, decided to hightail it back to the park incase any of my friends got suspicious or went looking for me.

I was almost there, when after taking a shortcut through a particularly dense thicket of trees, spotted Chat Noir who, before I could turn around, transformed in a sear of blinding green light. After blinking a few times, I spotted Adrien, with a small black cat thing flying around his face asking for cheese.

Covering my mouth with my hand to smother the slight gasp I let out, I quickly fumbled my way out of the thicket, almost knocking over Alya who after holding me steady looked me in the eyes.

"Girl, what happened? You look like you've seen a ghost!" I felt ill. I felt almost like I might faint. I supposed to Alya, it must have looked like I'd seen a ghost.

"It's nothing Alya," I replied, while trying to force a smile.

She looked at me suspiciously, before shrugging. We turned and started walking towards the bakery. Soon, I felt a sharp jab in my ribs and turned to look at Alya who was looking firmly ahead. 

"You know," she said slowly, "You can tell me anything, right?" I forced a smile onto my face as she turned to face me.

"I know." I replied simply, cringing internally why I did.

Oh Alya, the one thing I can't tell you is the one thing I want to tell you. I thought to myself, however, my thoughts remained silent and my mouth zipped close, a practice that was becoming habit of late.

Chat was Adrien. The love of my life, is my best friend. I was in turmoil, my inner voices flashing from one extreme to the other, anger, sadness, hatred, love before setting on melancholy joy.

I loved him. That would never change. Yet I knew Chat felt that Marinette was inferior to Ladybug. He also had a huge crush on Ladybug. It was too much, it was overwhelming. I needed a quiet place to think.

After Alya dropped me off, I excused myself up into my room. Lying silently on the bed and staring up at the ceiling.

Tikki flew out from my purse and gazed at me worriedly.

"I know who he is." was all I replied to her questioning gaze. Understanding almost immediately, the small god flew down and nuzzled into the crook of my neck. Not pestering me for answers, not talking at all. Simply offering her presence as comfort.

And when the first tears fell, she just hugged me tighter. 


	10. Things Don't Go as Planned

_**Marinette's POV** _

Needless to say the next morning was hard to face. When my alarm went off I just wanted to bury my head in the blankets and go back to sleep. Maybe that would make my overly complicated life disappear. Urrg, overly complicated? When did my sentences get overly complicated.

Sighing I rolled over, and groggily climbed down my ladder and down the stairs, pulling out the breakfast cereal I liked and pouring it into a bowl with milk. I slowly finished, briefly saying hello to my parents when they greeted me and walking up the stairs and back into my room and flying into a panicked rush when I saw the time.

I ran down the stairs and out the door arriving at school just as the last bell rang. Mlle. Bustier was already standing in front of the class, she just raised one eyebrow at me, her tired eyes cutting through my enough so that I walked to my desk with my head down.

I sat down and looked to the front however my eyes soon zoomed in on a familiar blond head of hair. I groaned and sunk into my seat, banging my head audibly on the desk. Alya shot me a curious glance, and I ignored it.

Why did things have to be so complicated?

My feelings were so confused, did he like me? Did I like him? I think that I do love him. Knowing that he was Chat Noir did not change a thing. First things first however, he needed to know I am Ladybug. I groaned internally at that thought. 

Despite the fact that i didn't really want to tell him, I knew it was unfair that I knew he's identity and he didn't know mine? Maybe I could tell him how I felt, that way all the balls were in his court. I smiled painfully, at least if I did it, it would be over, no more awkward stuttering.

No more stuttering, that would be nice. My small smile grew into a full blown one. Out of the corner of my eye i could see Alya looking at me confused, but i didn't care. I was full of new found confidence and i was going to own it.

When the bell rang for lunch, I told Alya I needed to go to the bathroom and after locking the stall and making sure no one else was in there to over hear, I briefly told Tikki of my plan.

"I'm going to confess to Adrien!" I squealed softly.

"Everything?" Tikki asked, everything meaning Ladybug and the crush.

"Everything."  I responded, and Tikki gave a happy squeal in response, zooming around and looking estatic for me.

I heard the toilet door open and a person walk in. I smiled and ushered Tikki into her purse, before flushing the toilet and washing my hands.

I walked out to the tree Alya and I usually sat under to see her already chowing down on her lunch. Her eyes flicked up to me and she smiled around her mouthful.

I made my way over and sat beside her, fidgeting anxiously. finally it became too much for Alya.

"Girl, what is it with you, you've been fidgeting all day!" I stilled my fidgeting.

"I'm going to confess to Adrien!" Alya gaped at me like a fish for a moment before emitting a loud whooping noise that made the students nearby look over curiously. Not seeming to notice, Alya dive tackled me into a hug knocking me back onto the soft grass.

Laughing with her I hugged her back. Her comforting arms around me helping to still the nerves that had gathered into a quivering bundle in my gut.

We pulled apart and Alya continued eating, I however, was far too nervous to eat.

"So, you just going to walk up there and tell him?" I chewed on my bottom lip, deliberating.

"No," I decided, "I'll ask to speak with him privately."

Alya raised an eyebrow, waiting until she swallowed until she spoke.

"How are you even going to get this out without stuttering?"

Suddenly my plan crumbled into ashes around me, worst case serious running through my head.

"Alya," I wailed sinking into her lap, "what if he doesn't understand me! What if he thinks I'm harassing him and he calls the police on me! What if he laughs and tells everyone what a fool I am!" Alya cooed and fussed over me, stroking my hair and giving me a pep talk.

"You can do it Mari, I know you can, just go over there and tell him like it is." 

I pulled away from Alya looking at her with my confidence restored.

"Your right, it'll be fine. Besides, Adrien would never laugh at me, he's to nice."

Alya agreed and we sat in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly Alya squealed and hit my arm repeatedly motioning behind me. I turned around to see Nino and Adrien laughing at something together, the sunshine shining off of Adrien's golden hair.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up. Alya nodded at me in support, giving me a thumbs up.

"You got this girl."

I marched over to where they stood, wringing my hands together nervously as they turned their attention towards me.

"Hey Nette," Nino said, smiling at me.

"Hi Nino," I responded hesitantly.

"So what did you want to talk about, you looked like a man on a mission marching over here." He laughed and I giggled nervously. 

"Yeah, well actually, I was wondering if I could talk to Adrien... alone," I clarified after a moment of silence. After a moment of looking between Adrien and I suspiciously he shrugged his shoulders.

"Okay, I see how it is Nette," he said, narrowing his eyes jokingly, "I'll go talk to Alya then, at least she appreciates me." He walked off and after standing still watching him for a moment I grabbed Adrien by the hand, (mentally giving myself a pat on the back for actually touching him) and dragged him off into a more secluded space.

He followed looking slightly dazed and confused, but came along willingly none the less.

_**Adrien's POV** _

I followed Marinette slightly confused as she led me off away from all the people, finally stopping and turning toward me when the appeared to be no one around.

She appeared to be psyching her self up for something, and finally after taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth.

"I need to tell you something important." she stated, wringing her hands together nervously and biting on her bottom lip. She shifted her feet side to side and adjusted her bag. What ever she wanted to tell me it was obviously something she was apprehensive about saying.

"It's alright Marinette," I said trying to sooth her frayed nerves, "What ever it is you can tell me."

Instead of setting her at ease like I had hoped it would she seemed to become more nervous, her eyes darting around, almost looking for a way to escape. 

"I-I," she started and broke of, taking a moment to gather herself before continuing. The dark green of the bush behind her made her silhouette stand out.

"I've liked you for a long time." She said slowly gauging my reaction before continuing, but I was just confused, what was she trying to say to me? I felt my eyebrows draw together.

"Ever since that day with the umbrella, I've liked you, but I could never tell you how I felt because whenever I was near you I became nervous and I stuttered." Her words were coming out faster as she continued, all the while it was slowly starting to dawn on me. 

"Now you're probably wondering why I've gained the sudden courage to tell you, but I'm not sure how to tell you anymore." she said, her words ending in a rush with her eyes down cast.

My eyebrows smoothed out, she had a crush on me. It was like a puzzle clicked into place inside my head. It sure did explain a lot of things. I cleared my throat. I needed to let her down gently, it wasn't her fault I was in love with someone else. Besides, someone like Marinette should have her pick of the boys. She was beautiful and talented and kind. No, it would not be fair to her to lead her on like I had been, albeit unintentionally.

"Marinette," I said gently watching as her eyes snapped up to me, a feeling of melancholy seizing me. I knew I would be breaking her heart, there was no way around that, but she would be better for it in the long run.

"Listen, I like someone else, I'm sorry." She looked up at me, her expression seeming guarded.

"Who?" I looked at her like she'd grown a second head.

"Why do you want to know?" I said defensively and a little harsher than intended.

"Just for future reference," she said slowly, and I flinched at her answer. She wanted to know what she had to do to be better.

"Marinette there is nothing wrong with you, I really do think you are a great person, in different circumstances, I probably would have liked you back, but comparing yourself to someone else isn't going to help you." the way it came out of my mouth was almost condescending.

Marinette looked slightly frustrated. She sighed through her nose and held her hands up in a placating gesture.

"I don't want to know for that reason. I am just curious." she said.

I hesitated before answering, not knowing if my answer would do more harm than good, before finally deciding that if she really wanted to know, than I guess there was no harm in telling her.

"Ladybug." I whispered, so softly that she couldn't hear.

"Ladybug," I repeated again, this time louder, "Ladybug is who I am in love with." Instead of looking crestfallen like l'd expected her too, a huge grin split across her face.

"This is great!" she said. 

"Great?" I questioned.

"Yes, because you see, that was the other thing I wanted to talk to you about!"

I raised on eyebrow, what?

"You see," she rambled on her voice gushing in the manner of one excited to tell someone something.

"I am Ladybug."

My face fell into a frown.

"Marinette, I know you like me but there's no reason to lie." she stared at me dumbstruck, but I continued on.

"I don't think ladybug would appreciate you telling others that you are her. Marinette, I know you upset but there really was not reason for this."

She looked at me, and the dumbstruck expression turned into one of concentrated fury and self loathing that it made me hate myself for opening my mouth.

"Of course," she said curtly, "Of course I knew things were too good to be true." I looked at her in shock but she continued ignoring me.

"It's alright Adrien, I know Ladybug hates liars. I won't ever lie ever again, not to anyone. Maybe if I had told the truth we wouldn't  be in this predicament now, would we? After all, lies by omission are still lies aren't they?"

She turned and started walking off, and when she paused at the end of the clearing looking back over her shoulder with tears in her eyes, I regretted everything. She opened her mouth seemingly wanting to say something and then she shook her head and walked off with her head bowed.

_**Alya's POV** _

Marinette was late to class. That in itself wasn't a worry, but the fact that Adrien had come in and had no idea where Marinette was caused concern.

When she finally came in, her eyes were red and puffy, her face flushed. Mlle. Bustier took one look at her and immediately told the class to continue on with the activity for a moment without her. Taking Marinette aside they had a quick hushed conversation, which though short had Marinette break down half way through. After Mlle. Bustier said something to Marinette and after nodding her head in agreement, Marinette hefted her bag higher on her shoulder. She then walked out of the classroom, to presumably go home.

There was only one thing that could have caused this, and it must have been bad to get this reaction out of her.

I turned a furious glare on the back of Adrien's head. Abandoning the work that we were supposed to be doing, I focused all of my energy on burning a hole into the back of his head.

It must of worked because soon the little hairs on his neck started standing on end.

After the bells rang symbolizing the end of the day, I marched up to him and slammed my fist down on the desk.

"What did you do?"

He flinched and it gave me a twisted sort of pleasure.

"I- I don't know."

I growled and even Nino seemed taken back by it.

"Well, i hope you're happy now. That girls gone through enough in the past few days as it is, and thanks to you, she's probably going to get akumaized, again and if she does. Well, i hope the first person she comes after is you."

With that I stormed off to search for Marinette. My auburn hair flying past my shoulders and the shocked gazes of my classmates bouncing off my back.

_**Adrien's POV** _

What had I done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happily ever after is not my forte, by there is still hope!


	11. The Only Problem Here is You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I would like to dedicate this chapter to a friend of mine. Be prepared for a little bit of angst. Also...
> 
> THANK YOU FOR 100 KUDOS!

_**Adrien's POV** _

The door slamming shut behind Alya broke me out of the shell shocked like state I was in.

"Dude, what did you do?"  

I turned to Nino, completely shocked. My brain refusing to process his words. If Alya was that angry, it meant Marinette must be in a pretty bad state.

But I mean, I couldn't just have someone tainting Ladybug like that, especially when I knew that she hates liers. Still, I was probably a bit harsh.

Ignoring Nino and quickly rushed out of the classroom, hurriedly following in Alya's footsteps and rushing down the hall to catch up to her.

She was marching with her head high and her auburn hair flying back behind her shoulder, the anger radiated off her in waves. 

"Alya!" I said when I was close enough, the words coming out in a pant. She whipped around to face me, pointing an accusatory finger at me.

"What do you want now!" she practically glowered at me.

I shrunk back against her onslaught.

"I just wondered if there was anything I could do to help." I muttered, lowering my head against her furious stare, her skin seemingly glowing with self righteousness.

"Help? Help!" her words were punctuated with jabs to my jest with her finger. "I think you've 'helped' her enough!" She screeched.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt her." I said again, the words ringing empty even to my own ears.

"It's bad enough as it is that you broke her heart, but you could have at least been nice about it!" her gold eyes glimmered with fury.

"I know I get it, I hurt her, but please let me help!' I pleaded, my voice regaining some of it's strength.

"Hurt her? You practically destroyed her!"

I was surprised, destroyed her? I didn't think I had hurt her that badly, but looking into Alya's gaze, where the fury seemed bottomless, I supposed I had.

She looked away from me for a brief moment, before turning back to me.

"If you want to help her, here's my suggestion. Stay away from her." practically growling the last part, she turned and stormed off.

A warm hand placed itself from my shoulder and a whistle followed. I didn't turn around to see Nino staring after Alya with an equally surprised expression on his face.

"What did you do to piss her off that badly?"

Shaking my head I turned around to pack up to head home.

_**Alya's POV** _

After confronting Adrien in the school halls, I made a beeline for Marinette's place, my anger, frustration and worry adding fuel to the adrenaline pulsing inside my veins.

I barged my way through the line of customers waiting to be served, walking past the counter and through to the bakery in the back.

Tom, Marinette's Father, looked up from where he was kneading the dough, a surprised expression on his face.

"Alya," he said warmly, if slightly confused, "it's nice to see you."

"Nice to see you to Sir," I said, my voice rushed, "listen, is Marinette home?" I asked, taking note of Tom's confused and slightly worried look, his bushy eyebrows rising and his mustache shifting as his

"Yes she arrived home only ten minutes ago, why?" 

"Thank you sir!' I replied, hurrying up to Marinette's room and leaving a very confused Mr. Dupain staring after me.

I was rushing. Paris couldn't afford for ladybug to get akamaized again, and me? I couldn't afford to see my best friend go through that sort of pain all over again. Last time it had nearly broken her, and this time? I don't think Chat Noir would even be enough to break her out of it this time.

I opened the trapdoor, my eyes immediately widening in surprise at the sight of a sniffling swollen eyes Mari sitting in her computer chair with a red blob flying around her fussing.

The two froze upon seeing me. The little red blob's eyes widened with a mortified expression upon her face.

"U-um meow?" the red thing said, ending it more like a question then a statement.

Marinette's snuffles ceased and she looked between me and the red thing like a rabbit caught in a spotlight.

"A-alya!' she exclaimed a little to loudly, "I can explain!" 

"It's alright," I responded slowly, the realisation suddenly dawning on me.

"I know you are Ladybug."

Marinette looked horrified by this revelation, rushing over to me and all but yanking me up into her room and slamming the trapdoor shut behind me.

"Shh!" she said, glancing around her as if the walls had ears. "Someone might hear you!"  
I laughed and pulled her into a hug, feeling her stiffen in surprise before cautiously returning the hug.

"You poor thing," I cooed, earning an appreciative glance from the red bug, whom I noticed had  two little antennae protruding from the top of her head.

Overwhelmed, Marinette immediately dissolved into tears, the sobs wracking her body.

"H-he doesn't love me." she cried into me, fisting her hands into my shirt.

"Shh, shh," I murmured back, "I know."

I maneuvered myself until we were sitting on her chaise and held her until the crying stopped, with only her body trembling.

"How about I go down and get some icecream and we can watch stupid chick flicks all night?" I said, relieved when she nodded softly.

The red thing had disappeared when I came back up with the icecream. Only Marinette sitting on her chaise, blowing her swollen nose with tissues. 

I offered her a spoon, before cracking open the lid and pushing play on the movie. Both of us refused to talk about the two huge bombshells that had been dropped on her that day. Adrien rejecting her, and me telling her I knew she was Ladybug, instead, we sat together silently, occasionally making fun of the stupid plot and dumb characters and gauging ourselves on ice cream.

When we had finished three movies, Marinette had fallen into a restless sleep, tossing and turning on the couch. I covered her with a blanket before cleaning up the ice cream and heading home.

_**Marinette's POV** _

When Tikki woke me up a few hours after I fell asleep, Alya was gone. I smiled for a moment, remembering how Alya had come in and immediately known what to do. I was really glad that she was my friend. The smile disappeared however when Tikkie opened her mouth.

"Marinette, you still have patrol with Chat Noir tonight." My face twisted into a frown and my eyes brimmed with tears.

"No, no! Don't cry Marinette, you don't have to go if you don't want to! I think it's perfectly acceptable if you don't want to go today!" she said her little voice squeaking worriedly.

"No, I think it's best if I go now. I have to learn to cope with it, and it's better that l get it over now before the next Akuma attack."

Tikki smiled at me proudly, but the smile was infused with worry.

" Only if you're sure Marinette." She said.

"I'm sure," I responded, "Tikki, Spots On!"

With the transformation enclosing me, and Tikki's magic wrapping around me, I took a deep breath before plunging deep into the night, heading off to the usual meeting place with the weight of the world resting upon my shoulders.

_**Adrien's POV** _

She was sitting on the edge of the building, her feet dangling below her and her yo-yo still strung on her waist. I smiled when I saw her, taking in how Paris illuminated her figure before approaching, knowing she had heard me.

"Good evening Bugaboo-" I cut myself off as she turned towards me. Something was wrong, her gaze was broken and her eyes were read and puffy, her cheeks flushed and swollen, she had been crying.

"Bugaboo," I said softly, "what's wrong?" sure, she had mistakes in the past, but we all made mistakes, she was still my closest friend and the love of my life.

Her gaze finally focused on me.

"Like you care." she said, though the words lacked venom.

"Bugaboo," I repeated again softly, "whatever it is you can tell me." Something within her seemed to snap at that, and she turned away from me, as if the sight of me standing there physically pained her.

She was silent for a moment before speaking again softly, self loathing lacing her every word.

"I have a good friend." a simple enough start, I thought, before she continued. 

"She had her heart shattered today you see. The guy she was confessing to accused her of lying."

"About what?" I asked. Her friend must have been extremely close to her to get this reaction from her.

"About being Ladybug."

"She was lying then, wasn't she, after all, you are Ladybug." I was confused, if shw was lying was was Ladybug so upset.

She shook her head, midnight hair flying around her face.

"That's not the point. The point is, what is so hard to believe about the fact that she might be Ladybug. It's not that I'm prettier then her, I know that's not it. Is it because I'm braver, kinder, smarter or more selfless?" she asked, and I suddenly felt that this conversation was not meant for me, but rather a conversation with herself, so I stayed silent, until she turned her gaze towards me.

"What do you think Chat, am I prettier than her?"

I was taken back.

"I do think you are prettier, kinder, smarter and more selfless than whoever you are talking about. But I guess my opinion is rather biased. I do love you after all." The last part was supposed to be taken as a joke, but as she turned back towards me, her face had darkened, the shadows seeming to cling to her skin.

"Don't lie Chat, you don't love me. Besides you should know better, after all, Ladybug hates liars, doesn't she." she said this self mockingly, as if she was parroting something someone else had said.

I fumed.

"Give me a chance Ladybug, how do you know I don't love you unless you give me a chance!" I practically shouted, the world around us becoming eerily silent.

She stood up, storming towards me until we were practically sharing breath. Her hard crystal eyes staring up at me.

"Give you a chance?" she said softly, dangerously. "Give you a chance?" she said again her voice rising and the fury palpable in it.

"I've already given you a chance, you stupid Cat! And how did you react to that? Oh, let me think... Ladybug hates liars, wasn't it. Well I'm done with lying." she said, grabbing her yo-yo off her hip and and flicking her wrist, the yo-yo flying from her hand and attaching itself to a distant building.

"I don't feel like patrolling anymore." she said softly, the anger seemingly evaporating from her, and when she spoke again, she sounded tired.

"Goodnight Adrien." and with that she flew off into the nigh, a red speck in the distance.

_**...** _

_Marinette._

_Marinette was Ladybug._

How could I claim to love her when all I had done was hurt her. How could I claim to love someone, and vow that I would spot her if i ever met her out of the mask and yet condemn her for lying when she confessed to me.

How could I claim to be a hero? Heroes were supposed to protect, serve and make the world a better place to live in. But as I stared after her I realised I hadn't made Marinette's world a better place to live in.

No, I had destroyed it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your ongoing support through this, it really means the world to me. Please keep the comments coming, it makes my day every time.


	12. All Fall Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry guys for the late update, I was away playing sport and as such was unable to post sooner. Enjoy!

_**Nino's POV**_

Come on. I mean, I know the dude was dense, but that dense? After Alya explained it all to me, the fact that Adrien had rejected Marinette and left the girl heartbroken, I was left speechless.

Come on. Everyone knew that Marinette had a crush on Adrien except, surprisingly, Adrien himself.

I would be okay with that, in fact I had long ago accepted that. Until, one crucial detail emerged. He may or may not have a teensy, weensy little crush on the person he had just rejected.

He just had to go and make things more complicated for himself, didn't he. Leave poor old Nino to try and salvage the remains. Adrien's great and all, but really. Come on.

As I arrived at school, I stood near the front door, in my usual spot waiting for Adrien to arrive. When the familia sleek silver car pulled up, I casually walked down the stairs, greeting him with a fistbump.

Adrien didn't look too great. He had dark bags under his eyes, and his usually perfect hair was a tad scruffier than usual. 

"Dude, what happend?" I asked, almost in awe of the fact the Adrien Agreste was looking less than perfect.

"I just had a bad night's sleep Nino." he said tiredly hanging his head and looking away from me.

"Aha." I replied, totally unconvinced, "Does this have something to do with the fact that you rejected Marinette by any chance."

He turned completely to stone looking me with shocked and guilty eyes.

"Come on dude." I replied, done pushing him for the day, placing a comforting hand of his back and leading him into the classroom.

Alya was already sitting there tapping away on her phone she looked up and spared me a glance before turning her frigid gaze towards Adrien. He flinched when he met her eyes and quickly turned them down cast.

I sighed. Marinette was absent, and in her absence Alya just kept a furious glare burning into the back of Adrien's head for the whole day. She didn't come to sit with us like she had the other days when Marinette was absent, rather she went and sat with Juleka and Rose.

At the end of the day after Adrien had run off to fencing, I cornered Alya.

"Alya, what was your problem with Adrien all day?"

Her eyes, which had previously been calm turned enraged. Her posture turning stiff. She looked livid.

"You haven't seen her Nino, she's even worse then after the Akuma incident. She's broken, like a puppet with her strings cut."

"Well Adrien's regretting it too, I actually think he might've had a bit of a crush on her."

Instead of calming her down this just made her more furious.

"Yeah, well maybe he should have thought before opening his stupid mouth then shouldn't he?" I had rarely seen Alya this angry, but I couldn't back down.

"Ever think that maybe he's hurting just as much as she is?" 

"He can't be, because Marinette has not just only had her heart broken, but one of her best friends tell her she is inadequate, so I'm pretty sure if I was Marinette, I would be a whole worse off then I am now, we're just lucky she hasn't been akumatized again." she fired back.

I sighed, I refused to give in to her, but at the same time she did have a point. I pulled her into a hug, and she collapsed against me with a shudder. Just like that the furious tension between us dissolved.

"Why do our best friends have to be such obliviots?" she asked, her voice muffled by my chest.

"Obliviots?" I asked, laughing.

"Yeah," she responded, turning her head up to look at me, "oblivious idiots." We collapsed into laughter, and drifted off into comfortable silence.

Damn I love this girl.

_**Adrien's POV** _

I would have stayed home from school if that had been an option. Father had made it very clear from the beginning that if I skipped school for anything other than a serious health issue or for something that he approved of he was taking me immediately out of public school and returning me to home schooling.

When Nino questioned me this morning regarding Marinette I nearly choked on my own spit.

A crush?

It was far more than just a crush, I was in love, and I had ruined every chance I had with her and hurt her along the way.

I couldn't just go comfort her as Chat, I had ruined that as well. The one day I had been dreaming of since we first started saving Paris had finally come, and I didn't believe her.

I needed to stop moping, my fencing instructor was already getting frustrated by my lack of focus, and anything less than perfect got reported to my father, I really needed it step it up.

I threw myself into it. Throwing my anger and frustration away at the opponent. At first it was fine, the strength I got from it worked, but soon I was making rash mistakes, throwing away easily won matches.

Suddenly the coach was at my shoulder, shaking his head at me.

"Go cool down Adrien. Your head's not in it."

I stalked away into the change rooms, throwing my foil to the ground and sitting down, panting I put my head into my head.

I looked up when the door of the change rooms clanged open and the coach walked in. He sat down beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Adrien, you know you can tell me anything right?" I felt a sarcastic laugh building up inside me, however I didn't release it. Agrestes stayed perfect even under pressure. That was something my Father had drilled into me for as long as I could remember.

Everyone thought that this was a simple question with a simple answer. It wasn't answered simply for me though.

I couldn't tell anyone I was Chat Noir, couldn't tell anyone the problems that came with that title. The only person I could tell other than my kwami, (who was extremely unhelpful) was Ladybug and I had screwed that relationship up.

Instead I settled for the ever familiar response of, "I know." and the coach, seemingly happy with this answer, patted me on the back and got up and left.

_**Marinette's POV** _

Alya had convinced my parents not to let me go to school. I had no idea what she said to them, but as soon as I came down stairs, they sent me back up with a tray for breakfast and told me that they were there whenever I needed to talk to them.

I truly had wonderful parents.

I didn't venture downstairs all day until my mind wouldn't leave me alone, so I decided to go and help in the store.

It was very busy down there, and when I started helping the customers, my mum just shot me a grateful look before being whisked away again.

Gradually the amount of customers dwindled, and as I was leaning against the counter a familiar red head walked in.

"Hi Nathaniel!" I greeted warmly despite how I was feeling.

"Hi Marinette." he replied softly, and he wrung his hands together.

"What can I get you today?" I asked, picking up the serving tongs and waiting for him to respond patiently.

"Actually, I didn't come here to buy anything."

Slightly surprised, I put the tongs down, my mouth forming a slight o.

"I came here to see if you were alright." he continued, leaving me smiling at him happily. It was nice to know someone other than Alya, Tikki and my parents cared about my well being.

"I'm fine thanks Nathaniel, it was really kind of you to come and see me just because I wasn't at school!"

"Um, about that, I didn't come just because you weren't at school, I came to see if you wanted to go to the school dance together?"

I felt something cruel and malicious twist inside me. I had been planning on asking Adrien to go with me to the school dance but after what had happened...

I looked at Nathaniel consideringly.

Why not? He could go with whomever he wanted, and so could I. I owed him no allegiance after what he'd done.

I looked up at Nathaniel from under my lashes.

"I'd like that." I said coyly, and when he smiled and blushed tomato red I smiled too.

_**Adrien's POV** _

The next day at school Marinette still wasn't there. However, an annoyingly chipper Chloe was.

"Adrikins!" she sang out as soon as I entered the premises.

"Yes Chloe?" I answered impatiently, looking around for Nino to save me.

"I was thinking about the school dance." the school dance. Ever since Chloe had found out about how other countries hold school dances she went on a riot. Convincing her Daddy to hold one at our school.

"Well," she continued, twisting one of her honey blond locks around , "I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?" she asked batting her eyelashes up at me. I spotted Nino standing over near one of the pillars with Alya. I quickly came up with a way to get out of it.

"Let me think about it and I'll tell you my answer later." I responded, hastily making my way towards Alya and Nino before she could pull anything else out from me.

"Make sure you give your answer to me quickly, I need to know so I can make sure we're matching!"

As soon as I reached where Alya and Nino were standing I breathed a sigh of relief. I fist bumped Nino and went to greet Alya only to find she was studiously ignoring me.

"Yo dude, what was all that about?" Nino asked, gesturing over towards where Chloe and Sabrina were standing.

"Chloe just wanted to ask me out to the dance." I respond, "And thanks for the help by the way." I added after a while.

Nino laughed.

"Why didn't you just say yes? would have saved you a lot of trouble, now she's going to be pestering you at every opportunity for your answer."

I sighed, not pleased about the fact that he was right.

"I know, but I kind of wanted to go with someone else." Nino quirked his eyebrow at this.

"Who's the lucky lady?" I cringed at that, if only he knew. 

"I think you know who I'm thinking of Nino." I answered, and his eyes lit up.

"Marinette?" he asked and from beside him Alya snorted, finally turning to face me.

"As if you think she'd want to go with you after what you've done." she said, a vicious sort of glee in her eyes as she added, "And besides, she's already going with Nathaniel."

The green eyed monster twisted inside of my, making me shake. I stilled myself with conscious effort and later when Chloe asked if I had come to a decision, I said yes, and agreed to go with her.

Two could play that game. 

 


	13. The Green Eyed Monster

_**Adrien's POV** _

I had heard of the expression the green eye monster but I didn't get whythey called it a monster until it dug it's claws into me.

They were talking. That of course was not of note, Marinette talked to everyone as class president, but it was the fact that he was blushed tomato red and she was laughing that clear tinkling laugh that made my gut clench and my eyes see red.

Or green.

Alya was beside them looking a little miffed and annoyed about something but mostly happy, she was watching Marinette closley and frowing ever slightly more every moment that passed.

My hands were balled into fists at my side, and I could feel my teeth grinding together.

"Dude" Nin said from beside me, "Chill."

I sighed turning towards him.

"I was stupid Nino, incredibly stupid."

I turned towards Nino to see him already looking at me, his golden hazel eyes squinting at me curiously, before he nodded, deciding something to himself.

"I know you were man, though I'm not one to take sides Marinette's is very compelling," I felt my heart plummeting, looks like Alya's already gotten to him then. "However, as long as you feel sorry, I guess. Bros come first."

He held his hand out for a fist pump and giving an internal sign of relief, I touched my fist to his.

"Bro?"

"Bro."

_**Marinette's POV** _

I was discussing with Nathaniel what colour scheme he had in mind.. He had bought up red but I quickly vetoed that one. I chose the safe neutral colour of blue. Pink was too much of a reminder of the walls that had used to hold up pictures of his face. Childish, and a bit cliché I guess but...

that's what I was feeling.

I had told Nath I would make his tie for him, and no, he could not see my dress before the dance.

When the warning bell rang out, signalling the beginning of the school day I practically rushed to class, dragging Alya by the wrist along with me. The lesson began and I through myself into them, trying to forget about the confusion that was my life at the moment. At lunch time I sat with Alya beneath our usual tree, and we talked about little things of no consequence, but as the time went on I could feel her frustration growing.

"Alya, what's wrong?" I asked eventually, setting down my food and looking her directly in the eyes.

She sighed and setting down her own food fiddled with her hair.

"Listen Marinette, I know I haven't been the best friend lately, and though that can partially be blamed upon... " here she drifted off into silence, I knew exactly what she meant, she didn't have to say it. After a moment she cleared her throat and then raising her gaze back up to mine continued, "I know that although you've made some decisions I don't exactly approve of," at this her gaze drifted off towards where Nathaniel was sitting, his sketch book in hand. "I just want to let you know that sisters come before misters. Every. Single. Time."

At this I launched myself at her dive tackling her into a hug, both of us crying on each other. After a while we separated and Alya looked at e with a smile in her eyes.

"Damn girl, maybe you need to cut back on the lady bug strength, that really hurt." At this she began to rub her back and I giggled.

"Sorry."

"No your not," Alya said laughing, the sunlight dancing off her face, "But I know what will make you!" Then she proceeded to tickle me merciless until the bell rang and we made it to class just on time breathless. Well, me more breathless than her.

At the end of the day I walked home, humming to myself, Alya having put me in a good mood. I sat down at my desk and proceeded to start cutting fabric for the dress that I had designed ages ago. Tikki was helping me, picking up on my good mood and deciding not to ruin it. when the time for patrol rolled around that night, I shot Tikki a look full of pleading and she crumbled, her little hands rubbing her head.

"Just this once though," she said accusingly and I grabbed her and hugged her too me.

"I promise I won't go making a habit of it Tikki!"

I fell into bed early that night, giggling with Tikki before drifting of and having peaceful dreams for once, with out slitted green eyes burning the back of my eyelids.

_**Alya's POV** _

We had a family meeting that night, the first I could remember in along time. I'm pretty sure the youngest two hadn't even been born the last time we had a family meeting. All of us sitting down around the coffee table, Dad holding Mum as she tried to look strong in front of us.

She failed.

Dad cleared his throat before looking each of us in the eye and proceeding.

"We have to decide on what to do about this," he cleared his throat again, "Funeral."

"Your father and I have decided most things, however, we wanted to know if any of you wanted to volunteer to do the eulogy with us."

"I will." I said my voice breaking, and my siblings all looked at me with concern, while my father looked at me sadly and my mother looked at me with pride shining in her eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered softly gesturing for me to come over and give her a hug.

My mum, not really one for public affection, held me to her as I sobbed my father cleared the rest of m siblings out leaving just me and my mother entwined together on the couch.

We fell asleep together like that. Her holding me like she used to do when I was younger and we didn't have a care in the world.

_**Adrien's POV** _

The letters came in the mail the next morning, one was handed tome, and the other to my father. They weren't really letters though, just pieces of card with a picture of Alya's younger sister smiling up at the camera like she never would again.

It asked us all to where bright colours, mainly green because that was her favourite colour, after her favourite superhero, Chat Noir.

That brought a smile to my face, though the elder Cesair sibling seemed to like ladybug, the younger one liked Chat Noir.

I guess it made sense.

That morning when I arrived at school I spotted Nino hugging Alya in a rare show of affection. I let them be, knowing what ever was between Marinette and I wasn't between Alya and Nino. I may have been and idiot, but I wasn't a complete one.

I walked over to a clear bench and sat on it. So lost in thought that I didn't notice when Chloe came over and stood before me, looking formidable with her hands on her hips.

"Adrien," she said by way of greeting, "We need to talk. Meet me in 23b at the end of class today."

With that she flicked her blond hair over her shoulder and walked off leaving me wondering what the hell had just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm truly sorry for the extremely late update. My life has been very hectic with exams and competitive travelling sport with hotels that have no wifi, because we're cheap. Your comments and kudos are greatly appreciated especially you comments, keep them coming please!
> 
> These next few chapters will be about friendship. So I would like to dedicate them to a few friends, you know who you are, whos friendship mean the world to me. You could never be replaced. Sisters before misters and all that jazz.
> 
> Thank you.


	14. Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here Y'all go. I's SOOOOOO sorry about the wait. I honsetly have had zero time to myself recently. Also Meryr Christmas Guys!

_**Marinette's POV** _

"... She was one of my dearest little sisters and now she's gone. Nothing can replace her or ever will but her memory will live on."

By the end of it I was crying where I was sitting on my chaise and Alya seemed chocked up. She was practising her speech for the eulogy next week, and had asked me to listen to her and give her pointers. Not that I was much help every time she read it I started crying again.

There was a knock on the trap door and my mother pocked her head up.

"Hello girls, it looks like the two of you are in need of a hot chocolate." she set the tray down on my floor and climbed up, sitting beside me on the chaise and wrapping and arm around me before gesturing to Alya to come sit next to her, wrapping the other arm around her.

We cried into her and she soothingly rubbed our backs, making comforting noises all the while.

After we had calmed down she stood up and looked at us sternly fetching the hot chocolates from where they were still sitting on the ground and handing them to us.

"Now listen here girls, I know you have lots to discuss, but I don't want you staying up to late, it is school tomorrow after all and you to already looked sleep deprived."

We nodded along to what she was saying and when she asked if we wanted her to bring up the spare mattress, we shook her head. Alya and I always shared a bed when she came around, it was warmer that way and I was less likely to sleep in. We clambered up the staircase to my bed, as we were already in pyjamas and Alya once in there, our breathing calmed each other down.

"Mari, I'm scared." Alya suddenly whispered out of the blue.

"Why?" I asked concerned turning to face her from my side on the wall.

"I don't want to have to see my siblings faces at the funeral. I don't want to have to be strong."

I looked at her in the eye.

"Alya," I whispered holding eye contact, "You are the strongest person I know, but even you have your weak moments. Maybe by not being strong you show your siblings that it's okay to cry, it's okay to be vulnerable. Sometimes it's braver to be vulnerable. It's strong to show your emotions to the world when you don't think it deserves anything."

Alya sniffled a little and I hugged her when she started balling.

I had been so caught up in my own struggles I had completely forgotten hers, but I was here now and though the world had seemingly turned it's back on us I knew with a friend like her beside me I could face down hawkmoth everyday. With her beside me I could forget that my heart was hurting, because hers was hurting a thousand times more.

We drifted off to sleep and though I still dreamed of being an akuma, of hurting Chat and Alya, I no longer felt as much guilt, though I knew I would always feel it. As I watched Alya's sniffles slowly lesson and her eyes slowly droop, eventually succumbing to sleep I realised something.

People say that a guilt and grief was like a weight on your shoulders and time gradually makes it lighter. That's only partly true, sure grief and guilt are like a weight upon your shoulders but time doesn't lesson the weight. No the weight stay the same but you get stronger, over time you get accustomed to it and it doesn't feel quite so heavy, maybe you can even forget it's there.

Maybe we need to stop seeing grief as a tragedy but rather as a test. Something to overcome in the name of those who have lost someone. A reason to become stronger and not break, a reason to live rather than an excuse to morn and mope. Maybe then the world would be different.

Maybe it would teach people that good friends bore the load you were carrying as well. I helped Alya and she helped me. Maybe it was my job to make her realise this.

 

Maybe that's what friends were for.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be longer but i rolled the last part into a new chapter don't worry.


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